From Here To The Sea (Spkg) [CD], Meredith Moon, CD

Meredith Moon's third album, From Here To The Sea, finds the Canadian-born songwriter and instrumentalist taking a slight detour from the Appalachian old-time roots of the album's predecessor, Constellations. Produced and recorded in Ontario and Nashville by Colin Linden (Lucinda Williams, T-Bone Burnett, Bruce Cockburn) and featuring Rebecca Lovell (Larkin Poe), Lillie Mae Rische & Dominic Davis (Jack White), Julian Taylor, George Receli (Bob Dylan), and Jerry Douglas, among others, the album explores avenues of blues, folk, and folk-rock, and even incorporates elements of old-time jazz. Moon's signature instrument - the banjo - still makes an appearance, along with the roots music that shaped her sound, but instead of being the anchor to the sonic pallet, it creates a subtle backdrop as she allows her songwriting to take center stage.