MR7

Album Review

If it seems unusual for an aging folk duo like Mustard's Retreat to release two albums in one year, some 25 years after the group's heyday, it probably is. But undoubtedly home recording and independent labels have given new life to a number of acts who never fit comfortably in the rough and tumble world of commercial recording. Of the two discs, MR7 is the more contemporary sounding, sporting full though never loud folk arrangements embellished with nice electric guitar work. Michael Hough and David Tamulevich are in fine form on MR7, and this is a much more buoyant set than the enjoyable though relaxed, A Gathering of Moments. Tamulevich's mellow vocals recall Gordon Lightfoot, and the duo's fine harmony gives songs like "Samhain Wish" a relaxed, easygoing feel. There are a couple of strange, wordy songs embedded in the middle of this disc, like "Strawberry Joan," about a sexual tryst, and "Comes a Moment," about getting married on a whim. "Never Wonder (The Sonnet Song)," a talking song, features one of the rare leads by Hough, and while it seems like a leftover from a well-meaning '60s rock band, the song skirts being overly earnest. For '70s folkies aging gracefully, MR7 should sound just about right. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide