2016 Favorite : case/lang/veirs

Historically the bands dubbed "supergroups" have almost exclusively been comprised of men. The WIKI list reads like an exclusive men's club and a quick Google search for female supergroup turns up Wild Flag and that Adele wants to form one at some point in the future. Surprisingly Trio comprised of Parton/ Harris/ Ronstadt doesn't pop up in my initial search at all.

It turns out that when incredibly talented women come together to make a record, their music is dubbed something closer to a collaborative project or isn't celebrated as a big deal by the industry at all.

I refuse to call case/lang/veirs anything but a supergroup. Individually: Neko Case, K.D. Lang, and Laura Veirs are music icons. Apart, they are masters of an individual music style that is unmistakingly their own. They are all dynamic storytellers whose delivery, timing, and melody choices set them apart from the pack. The most stunning thing that takes place when these three powerhouses come together is how the flawlessly their styles blend together. Rather than these three voices standing alone like bold primary colors stacked next to each other, they work together to create new and magnificent colors. These songs are a Pantone swatch book of their very own.

There is a shade and tone to please everyone here. Their vocal harmonies are world class. The musical orchestration is dense yet burns away at the right moments to audio equivalent of a movie camera panning out or moving in for a close up. The result is a distinctly American(a) tale that perfectly balances the intimacy of a person sharing a piece of themselves but they tell it in a way that can be universally appreciated and understood. This is the result of musicians knowing how to do what they do best while leaving plenty of room for others to move around and add their own layers. You can't make this kind of record without truly listening to each other. It turns out this supergroup are also super-communicators.

I have never done much time in church but whatever inspiration people describe after a strong Sunday sermon is the kind of experience this record delivers. Listen to "Down" and you will hear what I mean.

Watch their first live performance together in Portland here.