Long Gone Out West Blues

Long Gone Out West Blues is a worthy sequel to Pharis and Jason Romero’s first effort, A Passing Glimpse. It features a similar mix of traditional folk and country songs and old-time ballads showcasing the very fine close-harmony singing for which the couple from British Columbia has been justly revered. A couple of nicely crafted instrumental ditties feature Jason’s banjo finger-picking prowess and serve as an aural advertisement for his handcrafted banjo business. ‘It Just Suits Me,’ a bluesy holy-roller based on a field recording by the Georgia Sea Island Singers, is one of the standout tracks for exposing a crack in the mould of the duo’s fairly standard Americana repertoire as much as anything. Both the playing and singing on this song and a few select others (‘Lonely Home Blues,’ ‘Wild Bill Jones’) sound a tad less tightly strung than normal, and the lyrics lend a swinging, earthly depth to the song’s spiritual intent. ‘Truck Driver’s Blues,’ which the Romeros learned from a performance by the Collard Brothers recorded during a radio broadcast in 1940, likewise colours Long Gone Out West Blues with just the right shade of downhome, soul-stirring charm.