Artist: Blue Cut
Title: We Walk In Temperatures
Genre: Folk-Modern Folk
Label: Home Tone Records
Website: http://www.myspace.com/bluecutroots
CD Baby Link http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/BlueCut/from/muzikman
Source Link: http://www.muzikreviews.com/reviews.php?ID=1208

When I first saw the Partridge Family on TV I was fascinated at the thought of starting a band within my family. As it turns out, the wolf pack that raised me were only good at howling at each other and no music can make that sound good. Thankfully, the Latham Family is nothing like mine. The Latham's, better known as Blue Cut, have released an new album called We Walk in Temperatures that contains a great mix of modern folk songs that have elements of pop and rock and just about everything else mixed in for guaranteed foot stomping, hand clapping, swing your partner good time.

Father Michael, son Jacob, and daughter Bethany, pack the force of an overly friendly tornado that spirals into your yard and simply blows away the pile of junk in the corner of the back yard. They make you feel a bit better about things and maybe even make you dance a bit to some of the jauntier tunes on the album like "Me Too You". The song features shared vocals by Bethany and Jacob whose voices blend like only brothers and sister voices can. It really makes me want to change my last name to Latham and find my old jug and so I can blow into it and be part of the band.

What's amazing here is how good each one is with their instruments. Jacob sounds like he was born with a mandolin in his hands, which may explain why the mother is not in the band. I can't imagine giving birth much less giving birth to a baby holding a mandolin; that has got to be something along the lines of traumatic. Bethany provides enough thump with her standard and upright bass guitar on some songs to raise the Kraken from his deep ocean lair. Michael's guitar is smoother than a baby's bottom at times and when added with his voice on songs like "French Broad River" and "Peel the Onion", the two play together like peace loving Buddhist children.

There are enough bright spots on this album to dull the Aurora Borealis. "Harmless Dove" is a beautiful song that draws you into Bethany's voice which seems to flicker like a flame on a pure white candle in a light breeze. The lyrics are pure rock genius applied to folk and it's clear they have earned their �Bob Dylan as an Influence patch' on their music vests. Another standout song from Bethany is "Blue Willow Plates". It is a beautiful song and Bethany's voice makes you feel like you are in small town America with laundry hung outside and fields to plow. "Grey and Plain" is an interesting solo piece by Jacob. In it he seems to channel the lost soul of the great Huddie William Ledbetter (better known as Lead Belly). The young man seems to grow older while he is singing it. Thank goodness the song isn't too long or else he'd likely be a member of AARP by the end.

Blue Cut is a cut above the rest (sorry, I had to do that). For only three people they sound more powerful than The Great and Powerful Oz. Pull back the curtain here though and they remain just as powerful and as an added bonus, you don't have to follow the yellow brick road to get to them.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Harmless Dove, French Broad River, Me Too You

Doug Morrissey- MuzikReviews.com Staff

August 26, 2010

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Tracks:
1.French Broad River
2.Harmless Dove
3.Peel the Onion
4.Grey and Plain
5.Me Too You
6.Brother John
7.Tulsa Riots
8.Blue Willow Plates
9.Darlin' Corey
10.One More Cup of Tea
11.Little Sadie
12.Haley's Way
13.Don�t Swallow Camels