Fresh Track: Rachel Sumner “Shake & Shiver”

You know that quiver? The one you get when someone’s voice cuts deep into you and sends quakes throughout your body. That “full body chill” as my mom calls it. Rachel Sumner has that voice.

On her latest song, there is a tenderness and purity in how she delivers each word. Ends of phrasings delicately fade off into the ether of the guitar and accordion of the track, to be revitalized again in the next verse. It flows, but gently so. Beautiful and soft and smooth. This latest demo track from the guitarist and singer (known for her involvement with hot bluegrass group Twisted Pine and duo Sumner and Moss) branches out in solo territory here, playing with differing instrument arrangements and harmonies and I have to say that we are damn glad she did.

All that’s delivered
Seems to never be enough
We shake and we shiver
Through life lived off-the-cuff

We hope to hear a whole hell of a lot more of this soon from the songwriter.

(photo by Zoe Mitchell)