 CD MUSIC REVIEW |
 by Kate Flavin June 15th, 2006 If I was a fan of musical metaphors, I would probably try to convince you that divineMAGgees are the Indigo Girls thrown into Ani DiFranco's blender, transformed into a margarita that'd please Joni Mitchell. But this clumsy culinary metaphor forgets that mixed throughout their sound is the super secret ingredient that renders any attempted comparisons pointless; let's call it originality. Of course, they are, more than anything, a folk duo, but that label is so frustratingly vague that it makes me want to go back to the safety of a metaphor that name checks as many female artists as I can fit in a sentence. To be honest, I usually turn to a female folk album when I want someone to lullaby me to sleep, but there's no lazy listening with divineMAGgees. Danielle Tibedo and Cregan Montague seem to be Northeasterners at heart, forming in Boston and being long based in Maine until their recent relocation to North Carolina. From this change of scenery came the chance to record their first fully-produced studio album, love me like the roses, released in 2005. They've definitely got the soothing sound down pat ("riverlady"), but are not afraid to go a bit louder and a bit faster ("londontown"). As well as gathering praise from the local press, their album was named one of the top 100 new albums of 2005, and the songs I was able to hear online give one no reason to question this accolade. If female folk is your thing, you'll definitely enjoy these two. As for those who cringe at the mention of folk music, please give the divineMAGgees a bit of your time; I think you might be pleasantly surprised. www.NortheastInTune.com |
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