Celilo Falls - Rachel Harrington

Celilo Falls

Rachel Harrington

Tracks: 13

www.myspace.com/rachelharrington

www.rachelharrington.bandcamp.com

So, those of us here in the UK and Europe are lucky – Rachel Harrington’s brand new CD, Celilo Falls

 [pronounced suh-LIE-low], is released here in November, then in the USA in January 2011. 

This new offering is Oregon born (but living in Seattle, when not on tour in the UK and Europe for three months every summer) Rachel’s fourth CD in four years  (her third ‘official’ release).  Whilst ostensibly still a wonderful melting pot of of Americana, folk, country and even blues and Gospel, there is no denying that Rachel has taken a new direction, and perhaps her biggest leap of faith with this album. Namely, that leap of faith was advice given her years ago by  ace Boston singer songwriter Lori McKenna, to write from the heart about what she really felt, to write about her own personal experience.  Rachel listened to the advice, thought it through, then filed it away...until now.  Recalling that advice has resulted in the most emotional songwriting and the most stunning delivery yet from Ms Harrington, on a CD which puts her in a whole new place.

The title is intriguing; Celilo Falls takes its name from a stretch of waterfalls along the Columbia River that divides the states of Oregon and Washington. Since the building of the giant Dalles dam in the early ‘50’s, the once raging and bountiful Celilo Falls has been completely buried, submerged under the backwater of progress. The significance, Rachel has said is in that not only is this album a trip into this Western landscape, taking us back in time maybe 100 years, but that a  lot of this record is, for her, about what lies beneath. Thus it has become a musical juxtaposition of concepts.

The musicianship on this CD is simply wonderful, from Ronnie McCoury (Del McCoury Band), Rod Clements (Lindisfarne, and her touring partner in the UK and Europe during summer 2010), Dan Salini (Atomic Deluxe, Doug Wintch), Colby Sander, and Jon Hamar. Together they add a richness to the sound of every song, whilst allowing Rachel’s beautiful, soulful voice to shine through the spaces between them.

I can’t fault any of the songs included on the CD, but have to give first mention to the beautiful Goodbye Amsterdam, possibly my favourite of all she has written thus far.  Basically it is about going back to places you shared with someone in your life, but they aren’t there anymore and seem to haunt those places.   Exquisite and surely anyone who has lost someone they love will relate to the aching in her vocal. You’ll Do, is almost tongue in cheek, very much reminding me of Elizabeth Cook’s more ‘playful’ songs.  Rachel often speaks of her upbringing by right wing Pentecostalists; she has pondered how she ever became a folk singer, before determining that she thinks this explains her love of Gospel music. This has resulted in a beautiful Gospel song which she wrote for the CD, He Started Building My Mansion in Heaven Today, inspired by a comment her grandfather made to her.  Just beautiful.  Little Pink is another fantastic song , as is House of Cards, with its real bluegrass sound, and Here in My Bed is likely to resonate with a lot of people.

I could say more, but really, you need to hear this collection of songs to appreciate just how stunning a CD it is; it has fallen straight into my top CD of 2010 slot and hasn’t been out of my CD player since it arrived.  If there is any justice in the world,  Celilo Falls will find its place among the best material out there and make Rachel Harrington a name more people recognise.  Give it a spin on your player, or at least on the free listening bandcamp page  - if not You Don’t Know what you’re missing.