Birds & Arrows @ The Triple May 26, 2009

Pete and Andrea Connolly (neé Nell) wed in October, becoming the most recent addition to the Triangle’s excellent collegium of married bands that includes The Rosebuds, Work Clothes and Waumiss. And their work—warm, emotional, poetic folk music played tenderly and gingerly—thrives on the relationship’s intimacy, spinning songs from domestic images like the blue flickering flame of a gas burner and the trove of persistent memories that remain like love’s kindling. Andrea, who sings and plays guitar in the bluegrass quartet Sweet By & By, takes the lead on three of the EP’s six tracks, turning in a slow-burning performance on opener “Garden Shed” and layering her reverb-tinged vocals over banjo and handclaps on the title track.
With a voice that’s as workmanlike as it is worn, Pete adds a jangly lift to his tracks, like the mandolin-abetted “Old Man Winter” or the structurally convoluted “Black Shoes.” But, as things should be, the Connollys sound best when they sing together, their complementary voices wrapping together in rustic contentment and comfort, like a happy pair making music because that’s how love makes them feel. These six splendid songs beg for those feelings to continue.

Official Website: http://www.myspace.com/triplerva