Published on Jun 8, 1999
I admit it, cheerfully. I’m a sucker for multi-part harmony.
There are several CDs I own
just for the artists’ ability to harmonize — the Corrs come
to mind. And if you like that kind of harmony, then you
need to check out the Rankins, Cape Breton’s contribution to
the ‘siblings singing in Gaelic’ sweepstakes. But don’t confuse the
Rankins for the etherealness of Clannad or the dance pop of the
Corrs; the Rankins have their own down-home country twist to their
music, and nowhere does it show more than on their new CD,
Uprooted.
The Rankins started recording in 1989 as the Rankin Family, and
have recieved multiple music awards in Canada for their blend of
Gaelic/country/bluegrass vocalization, including a Juno for Single
Of The Year. On this project, they finally jumped in headfirst,
recording at Omnisound Studios, Nashville, for American roots/folk
label Rounder Records. While the band has widened their appeal and
their styles, the sound remains the same: the crystalline tapestry
of sisters’ Heather, Cookie, and Raylene Rankin singing over a
solid instrumental base laid down by John and John Morris Rankin.
(John also takes an occasional stab at singing, and he’s pretty
darn good.)
The CD is clearly divided; the first six tracks are country, and
you know, for country it’s not too darn bad. (I have a love-hate
relationship with country; some of it I love, but I wish the man
who’d invented the mother-in-law-esque whine of the steel guitar
would have been dropped in the Marianas Trench at a young age.)
“Movin’ On” is John Rankin kicking it out, and indeed this track’s
video is getting play on American cable network CMT, “Cold Winds”
is a pleasant enough ballad, and “Maybe You’re Right” is a nice bit
of upbeat wordplay worthy of a Mary Chapin Carpenter. This is no
accident; the Rankins’ flirtation with American country music began
on their
Endless Seasons CD, which was produced by Carpenter’s
longtime producer John Jennings.
It’s the latter half of the CD, though, that really grabbed me
and wouldn’t let go. The Celtic/Cape Breton half begins with an
eerie, funky, delightful expedition into Celtic/trance/techno
called “Weddings, Wakes, and Funerals” that reminds me of the
stylings of Cape Breton bad boy fiddler Ashley MacIsaac. It’s
incredibly odd, incredibly fun, and it makes me turn up the CD
every time it comes on. From there, it never stops, and never has a
weak moment; the mouth-singing of “Parlour Medley”, the clear
harmonies of “O Tha Mo Dhuil Ruit” and “An Innis Aigh” (otherwise
known as ‘that song that one chick sings in
Riverdance, and here the Rankin sisters blow her out of the
auditorium without breaking a sweat), and the sweet, sorrowful
close of “Farewell To Lochaber”.
The Rankins’ style is odd, true; half Cape Breton, half
harmonized country, and a touch of experimentation. But it’s a
taste that’s
strongly worth acquiring, and their presence on an American
label means it’s a taste you can
get. Get out and get
Uprooted. You won’t be sorry.