Chris & Meredith Thompson

Clearwater
Alkali Records

by Bonny Holder

Senior Reporter

There is nothing Texan about Clearwater, the 5th CD of Chris and Meredith Thompson. "This is Boston, not Austin." The songs on this album are heavily flavored with the salt of the north Atlantic coast. The title cut refers to the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, which patrols the Hudson River in New York for sources of and solutions to pollution.

So put on your deck shoes and walk to the harbor, or stroll barefoot on a cool, rainy beach. It will do you good.

The Thompson twins (yes, they are) grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, just down the street from the legendary Stone Soup Coffeehouse, where they first shared the stage in 1992. Between the two, they had learned to play quite a few instruments, including acoustic guitar, flute, congas, and other percussion instruments. On this CD, they are accompanied by Duke Levine on electric guitar and mandolin; Jim Henry, guitar, mandolin and banjo; Seth Farber on organ and accordion; Doug Plavin on drums; and Richard Gates on bass.

Creds? Chris and Meredith are still in the process of adding to their resume. They were finalists in the South Florida Folk Festival songwriting contest; first place winners in the OSBC Band Competition; nominated best acoustic act by the Providence Phoenix; Lilith Fair finalists; and they play the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival now, onstage alongside East Coast faves like the Kennedys, the Nields and Eddie From Ohio.

Like other siblings in Americana music, Chris and Meredith's voices have remarkable blend. You can tell from their version of "Amazing Grace" that they have sung this song together all their lives. This works very well for them on other songs, too, like "Wildest Sea," which is a watercolor of standing on a lonely beach. "Fine is the line where the sea meets the sky," they sing, "Silver and blue and gray and white, stretching as far as the eye can see."

"Neruda" is a cerebral lyric, an ode to the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, presented in his voice:

I first came to Santiago because I knew I had to write
My pen and I found some good fortune and it brought me to the limelight.
Now I only seek the shadows, and fear if I reveal myself
That is why my feet move quickly
I am on my way to somewhere else

The Thompson sisters recorded Dave Carter's "Tanglewood Tree" and he got to hear it live before he died. It's a densely-worded, entwining lyric and they manage to pull it off well.

"First Step" is a song they wrote for a wedding, and I recommend it for any musician who occasionally steps up to the church mic. It is sweet but not wussy; optimistic but not naive. And "Harvest Moon," only a minute-and-a-half long, has a cool Celtic tinge that is augmented by the close vocalizations. It is so fresh, I wish it were longer.

Chris & Meredith Thompson's website is: www.cmthompson.com
The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater is online at: www.clearwater.org


You can contact Bonny Holder at bonny-at-rockzilla.net

 
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