The Greencards,
Weather and Water

Label: Dualtone
Year: 2005

(4 out of 5)

The Greencards released their debut album, Movin' On, just last year. That fact is remarkable once you hear the vastly superior Weather and Water. If Movin' On hinted at the band's potential, Weather and Water catapults The Greencards toward the head of the pack of progressive bluegrass artists. With strong 2005 releases from The Duhks, The Bills, and now The Greencards, Nickel Creek had better release something spectacular with August's Why Should the Fire Die? or else risk losing its leader status.

A whirlwind 2004 found The Greencards capitalizing on its impressive Austin area fan base to sell almost 10,000 copies of the independently released Movin' On. With word of The Greencards' electrifying live performances spreading throughout the industry, the band found itself in the enviable position of being able to choose the right label from among several suitors. In late 2004 The Greencards signed with Dualtone, which promised the band could retain significant creative control, and moved from Austin to Nashville.

The first output from the new sponsorship and scenery, Weather and Water, is an impressive leap forward in terms of the band's in-studio evolution.

The key to The Greencards' success is the vocals of Carol Young. "The Ghost of Who We Were," "Weather and Water," "Time," "What You Are," and "Don't Want Forever" feature Young on lead vocals and represent the album's choicest cuts. With an angelic voice reminiscent of Allison Krauss or Patty Griffin (who co-wrote "What You Are"), she conveys longing and heartache—crucial newgrass ingredients—with graceful ease.

This is not to downplay the importance of the other two Greencards. Kym Warner is magnificent on mandolin, as is Eamon McLoughlin on fiddle. Both are solid on backup vocals.

But put either in the lead vocalist role, and the results are inconsistent. Warner is good on "Bordered on Breakdown" and passable on "Like a Melody," but "Long Way Down" drags throughout its 5-plus minutes. McLoughlin's lead turn on "The Ballad of Kitty Brown" is eminently forgettable, but I'm not quite sure whether that's because of his comparatively reedy vocals or the tortured story-song lyrics.

The three instrumental tracks—"Almost Home," "Marty's Kitchen," and "The House on Vine Street"—are entertaining, foot-stomping bluegrass romps. Yet minus the vocals there's little there to distinguish The Greencards from similar artists.

Weather and Water is an impressive sophomore release, especially given its vast improvements over Movin' On. The Greencards' new Dualtone alliance already is bearing impressive fruit, even if it meant losing the band to Tennessee.

Buy: Lone Star Music, Amazon

June 27, 2005