One day a package arrived from Jeremy Morris, which isn’t that unusual to be honest, but inside was a digipak from a band that I hadn’t heard of, and it didn’t appear to be a Jam records release either. When I put it on the player I was even more surprised as I expect a certain type of music from Jeremy and his many associated bands and his own label, but this didn’t fit any of them! Some small amount of research later and I discovered that TSTF are a Michigan based brother and sister duo, and it is probably geography that first brought about the connection. But I am grateful for Jeremy for passing this on, as what we have here is a very intriguing and interesting album indeed. This is an album out of time, as while it is American folk (as opposed to country), it probably has way more in common with the music of the Thirties and Forties than it does with the Sixties, let alone today. Gretchen Powers provides lead vocals, along with guitar, piano, cello and banjo while her drummer Seth sometimes harmonises with her as well as providing guitar, banjo, ukulele, harmonica, electric guitar and drums (just on the one song).
This is music that is way more than ‘just’ music. Playing this album brings together thoughts of a totally different lifestyle from a totally different time. Apparently this is their second album, following on from their debut ‘The Bird and The Fool’ which came out in 2009, but they must have been really young when the debut came out as they certainly don’t seem very old now, looking at the photos.
This is Americana, music from a country that doesn’t exist anymore apart from a few pockets here and there, and feels all the more genuine for that. This isn’t plastic music for a modern generation, but music from a time when 78’s were rare, and music had to be experienced in the live environment. This is timeless, compelling, and definitely the real deal.
