Weather and Water

1	The Ghost of Who We Were 4:40
2	Weather and Water 4:04
3	Almost Home 3:57
4	Like a Melody 3:55
5	Time 4:31
6	Long Way Down 5:11
7	Marty's Kitchen 3:11
8	What You Are 5:34
9	Don't Want Forever 3:02
10	The Ballad of Kitty Brown 4:16
11	Bordered on a Breakdown 3:00
12	The House on Vine Street 4:14

Barnes & Noble

The Greencards' interpretation of bluegrass -- like that of fellow travelers Nickel Creek -- is as old as time but as fresh as tomorrow, crossing genres and infusing the ancient tones with some giddyup-go. The Texans deliver big-time on their haunting second album, Weather and Water, bolstering their basic acoustic trio with some inspired friends and bringing in producer Gary Paczosa, who sculpts some of the most sumptuous acoustic soundscapes in contemporary music. The captivating lead vocalist (and co-writer and bassist) Carol Young sounds like a huskier-voiced Kasey Chambers (an avowed Greencards fan), with the same affecting catch in her voice and the same impeccable sense of lyrical shading. Check out the breathy restlessness Young imparts to the forlorn ballad "Time" and the ethereal yearning informing her approach to "The Ghost of Who We Were," a solemn, pop-tinged homage to the persistence of memory. It's a voice you can't get out of your head. The Greencards also inject all kinds of fascinating instrumental twists and turns. The album's only cover, Patty Griffin's "What You Are," is rendered somewhere between a dirge and a hymn, with mandolin and guitar thumping an ominous ostinato riff ahead of Eamon McLaughlin's steady, droning cello and viola -- it's an eerie, foreboding flourish that enhances the longing in mandolin player Kym Warner's soft, searching vocal. The instrumental "Marty's Kitchen" shows off the fleet but precise picking these players pull off so flawlessly. Young and smart, the Greencards are lighting out for new territory; the journey promises to be fruitful. David McGee

All Music Guide

The Greencards' second album, Weather and Water, proves that the group's fine debut album was no fluke -- if anything, this trio of Australian and British expatriates who've settled in Austin, TX, sounds even stronger and more engaging on their second trip into the recording studio. While Carol Young's clear, expressive lead vocals often steal the show on this disc (and not without reason, given how lovely she sounds on "Time" and the title cut), the tight and flavorful ensemble playing by Young (bass) and her bandmates, Kym Warner (mandolin, bouzouki) and Eamon McLoughlin (fiddle) is what impresses most on second and third listens. With remarkably little help from session players, the Greencards make their humble trio sound full and strikingly dynamic, and Warner and McLoughlin show off some remarkable chops without descending into flash for its own sake. (They also sing quite well, both in harmonies with Young and when they step to the fore for lead vocals.) All three Greencards write, and their originals are fine stuff, with fresh, clear melodies and lyrics that stand up to repeated listening. And these recordings achieve a rich sound without sounding cluttered, drawing from American bluegrass and British and Celtic folk traditions to create a style that is honestly their own. The Greencards are one of the most promising acts on the acoustic music scene, and Weather and Water gives them a first-class showcase for their estimable talents. Mark Deming