Something in the Water

Over almost a decade, Pokey LaFarge has carved out a career as one of Americana's most distinctive young talents. His ability to absorb and reinterpret old country, blues and jazz have found him recreating vintage sounds while entertaining contemporary audiences. After a stint on Jack White's Third Man Records (which raised LaFarge's profile) he has signed to Rounder, the foremost US roots music label. Can LaFarge follow in the successful wake of Rounder artists like Alison Krauss and Béla Fleck? Quite possibly: he's a good entertainer and many of these songs – both those that date back to the Vaudeville era and his original compositions – are quite lovely. LaFarge emphasises the fun in his music, playing up the idea of a simpler, more innocent 1920s era (similar to his Australian counterpart CW Stoneking) and he does so with such charm and subtle musical skill it's near impossible to fault him for being so retro in approach. On the lovely ‘Cairo, Illinois’ LaFarge sings with a subtlety and grace that suggests he might soon be able to step out of costume and survive purely via his skill as a songwriter.