the yearlings
Reviewed by: Phil Catley
Published: 13 October 2010
lp: sweet runaway
Chris Parkinson and Robyn Chalklen are The Yearlings and “Sweet Runaway” is the fifth release from this local alt Country / folk duo. This collection is well produced, the mix is top-notch, and the instruments deliver a sound that I can only describe as juicy and oaken-honey soaked.
John Mellencamp recently released a collection of songs recorded live-to-tape, with many songs recorded through a single microphone, and all recorded in lo-fi settings such as the hotel room where Robert Johnson quietly scratched his legend into history. John declared his protest against modern over-production by presenting a collection of tunes suffering from digital poverty.
Quite separately, down in Maslin Beach, The Yearlings pulled out an old 8 track tape recorder, mic’d up the room to create their own home-made studio, and invited some friends to join them in recording some homespun tunes. Throw a light blanket of tiple, Wurlitzer, Hammond organ, banjo, and accordion over the understated backing tracks to create an almost formless but sublime blend of perfect moods. The background tape hiss that bookends each song is a welcome old friend to those of us raised on cassettes and records, and while audiophonic perfectionists may protest that modern technology has rendered it unnecessary, there’s a fair old argument to be made that an analogue tape adds a sonic dimension that the digital studio just cannot capture.
The songs tend to play on mood, developing the harmonic vocal interplay between Robyn and Chris. Opening with Butterfly, Robyn delivers a laconic meandering over a still meadow in spring. This is an acoustic shuffle of gently pulsing tremolo, late nights, lonely mornings and broken hearts. Distraction is Chris’s riposte – a gentle, rolling chord progression weaving between the fire-side and the patio. Eerie, and redolent of dark events, open spaces, and gentle foreboding, Robyn caresses us through Drive All Night, a lost highway soundtrack of tremolo and distant slide guitar.
Like a swollen river, once these songs start they just keep on rolling; peacefully rolling. Wildflower Girl is a slightly sad duet, followed by Chris’ slightly more upbeat Shotgun Eye and Sweet Runaway. The remaining 6 songs consistently deliver more of the perfection crafted in the first half of the album.
This is a superbly balanced collection of songs, the packaging is professional with lyrics, liner notes, and a picture of the family dog included; this latest offering from The Yearlings is well worth a listen.
