THE TRISHAS
They Call Us the Trishas
www.thetrishas.com
According to group member Savannah Welch, the Trishas prefer to call their 20-minute debut a “mini album” rather than an EP. That may seem like a silly distinction at first, but one listen to They Call Us the Trishas and you get it. Whereas “EP” might suggest a quick burst of inspiration captured on the fly, something knocked out on a whim or maybe meant as a mere appetizer to tease a fuller course to come, this really does sound like a fully realized portrait. There are but five tracks here, culminating in a cover of Kevin Welch’s “Till I’m Too Old to Die Young” that showcases the splendor of the four Trishas’ joint voices with genuinely soul-stirring effectiveness. That leaves one track apiece for each of the individual Trishas to sing lead on, and no room for error without one of the gals standing out as the weakest link. Suffice it to say that they all pass this first round with flying colors. Kelley Mickwee and Liz Foster, the group’s two powerhouse belters, dish out convincing gospel blues with the traditional “Troubled About My Soul” and Foster’s “Rise Above,” respectively, while Jamie Wilson, arguably the Trishas’ most seasoned songwriter, brings a splash of world weary, folksy twang with the rootsy “Give It Away.” Force me to pick a favorite, though, and the proverbial blue ribbon goes to Savannah’s exquisitely melancholic “So Blue.” Still, at no point does They Call Us the Trishas sound like anything less than a total group effort, every note lovingly conceived and delivered with perfect harmony. — RICHARD SKANSE
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