Mandolin Orange -Blindfaller

Mandolin Orange—the duo of Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz—possess serious musical chops, being excellent singers and instrumentalists (Marlin on mandolin, banjo and guitar; Frantz on violin and guitar). They are joined by a select group of friends to comprise a full ensemble for the record, which mixes folk, bluegrass, country and pop in a variety of ways.

The music on Blindfaller is mostly traditional country, folk and stringband played by people who are steeped in those traditions and have put in the thousands of hours of practice necessary to make virtuosity sound entirely natural and effortless. Marlin’s and Frantz’s voices carry the melody true and blend beautifully in harmony. The tunes occasionally offer subtle dashes of complex and jazzy touches, but they fit in so naturally you barely notice them.