Forrest O’ Connor is a virtuoso. His mandolin playing makes me shrug into a corner and reconsider my instrument choice, but nonetheless his mind is always running a mile ahead of everyone else and man, is that a wonderful thing to listen to unfold. Adding the fiddle and voice of Kate Lee to the mix was a wise choice for this new project. The two truly have a chemistry that just works. With the later addition of Jim Shirey the trio has really rounded out a warm and wonderful sound both live and in recordings. Their new effort “The Demonstration” is a fantastic first effort from the group and what I am predicting will be just the start for this group of talented musicians and songwriters.
“Coming Home” is a cleverly arrangement and bubbly kind of a piece. Forrest’s voice as always is on point and clear. He just has one of those friendly and soothing vocals. The “just enough” harmony added by Kate Lee is perfectly placed and adds just enough in the exact right place. A wonderful listen. And of course, there is the mandolin. The interplay between the solos is great and shows that in this band there is room for more than one fantastic musician.
The use of the octave mandolin (or octar) as the primary low register instrument really does something special. “A Lonely Lullaby” reminds me of a Christmas time ballad. It has a dark and cold night kind of a vibe to it. It’s really gorgeous. Again, those harmonies come into play and are wonderful. Kate Lee’s voice has a honeyed toned to it that is gorgeous and pleasant. There is something about a song that can invoke clear images into your head that is magical and this tune does just that.
A few months back they released the video for “What Have I Been Saying” and I was floored. There was a warmth and a soulfulness captured in that song and video. Something truly special.
O’Connor and Lee’s voices fit together like two puzzle pieces. The one you have been searching for for the past hour, find it underneath the coffee table and the complete and utter joy you get when you finally complete the entire puzzle after you put it in its place kind of fit. Truly sublime. Voices that were made to harmonize. It really is a beautiful thing when this happens. The fact that they are also splitting writing responsibilities I think adds a depth and layer to their songs in this collection. There is no clear leader of the band and I dig that.
‘The Demonstration’ is slightly less pop than O’ Connor’s previous work that shares the name of the newly (ish) formed group. There are most subtle hints of folk, country and bluegrass here. Sure, the edges are rounded a bit and the production is top notch, but I feel as though there is less over-thought here. Going back to writing great songs with smart arrangements and focusing on simple, but great and compatible parts defines the EP. Acoustic instruments used in a way that fully opens the possibilities of their sounds and utilizing vocals in a clever and exciting way. This is a great collection of songs from some truly gifted musicians. Can’t wait to see what else is downstream for Wisewater.