Americana roots duo Trent Wagler and Jay Lapp have released a CD of 13 gritty songs that travel along a path through the listener’s ears and aim directly for the heart. Wagler wrote 11 of the songs (the other two are from the tradition) and provides vocals and guitars; Lapp produced and brought an instrumental virtuosity and sensibility to add dimension to the sound. The playing is crisp and multilayered, with a brilliant balance that adds just the right touch of fiddle here and guitar accent there. Pacing is varied, with the striding bass lines and soulful vocals of “Riverside” giving way to an unadorned, introspective “Corrine” followed by sauntering bass and instrumental licks that give propulsive energy to the earthy and rollicking “Honey Bear.” Voices blend in a tight, exquisite harmony; it’s obvious that the musical souls of these two men oscillate in a similarly close frequency. Songs are inspired by storms, from the tranquil, misty environs within the human heart to the thunderstorms of the wide-open prairie. The CD closes with a full-throttle celebration called “Today,” which has the feel of an extemporaneous, uninhibited, celebratory dance in the rain.

-Susan Hartman, Dirty Linen, July/August 2009