Cornflower Blue Invincible Review
Maverick Country - the UK's leading independent Country Music magazineAlan Cackett
RUN DOWN THE RAILS
Cornflower Blue is Trevor May and Theresa McInerney, a pair of Ottawa musicians creating live folk music with chiming guitars and shimmering vocal harmonies. They have been performing together for over fifteen years. They play either as a duo, or with their band: Deanna McDougall (violin), Dasha Korycan (bass), and Rob MacLeod (drums). Theresa is originally from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, but has spent some formative years in Cold Lake, Alberta. Trevor originally hails from Edmonton, Alberta, and has spent some formative years in the interior of British Columbia. They routinely draw on this broad experience to create their music, which uses space, dynamics, and openness to dramatic effect. This is their second album and their band members play more of an integral role than on their previous one producing a fuller, more live band sound that suits the mainly self-penned songs.
May’s mandolin is often to the fore, creating a distinctive sound with the fiddle on the dense “Fisherman’s Blues.” On the country-rockin’ “Run Down The Rails” there’s blend of fiddle and electric guitar with a great travellin’ vocal from Theresa that really drives this track home. There’s a West Coast country-rock vibe to “Cold Lake (Silver Jets And Sunsets)” enhanced by the vocal harmonies and Deanna’s fiddle very much to the fore. Cornflower Blue is never going to make the big-time, but they make music on their own terms and with great integrity. Can’t ask for more than that.