Henrietta Swan - Get Together (click on image to watch video)

 07 October 2019

Henrietta Swan, named for the American Astronomer born in the 19th century, is an Americana band based in Nashville. They have just released “Get Together,” a four-song EP.  The band features lead vocalist Lauren Shera Levine, guitarists Marc Davison and Gary Gladson and bassist John L. Heithaus.

The EP is front-loaded with a couple of covers. First up is “Road To Hell,” originally a hit 30 years ago for British Rocker Chris Rea. Ominous chords collide with squealy synths and chunky keys as the song springs into action. Barbed lyrics foreshadow the climactic climate changes the world is currently experiencing, and the arrangement is wildly apocalyptic. But that makes it difficult to see the forest for the trees. They fare much better on the Youngbloods’ classic “Get Together.” Even though the song is almost ready for social security, the message of tolerance still resonates. The two original tracks prove to be a better showcase for the band.

If Fleetwood Mac and Cowboy Junkies ever collaborated on a song it might sound like  “Odessa.”  Acoustic guitars lattice over sinewy electric riffs, a wash of keys and a tick-tock beat. The vibe is lush and expansive, but the vocals, ethereal and earthy, command center stage. 

“Unfold” shares some chord changes with Patti Smith’s iconic “Dancing Barefoot” song. Slightly more stripped-down than the rest of the EP, it features sparkly piano, shimmering acoustic arpeggios, stinging electric guitar and see-saw violin. Lauren’s vocals remain warm and inviting. The covers might hook the listener, but it’s the original songs that will keep them coming back for more.

Eleni P. Austin - I was born into a large, loud Greek family and spent my formative years in the Los Angeles enclaves of Laurel Canyon and Los Feliz. My mother moved us to the Palm Springs area just in time for puberty and Disco.  I have spent over 40 years working in record stores, starting back in High School.

I wrote music reviews for the Desert Sun from 1983 to 1988. I began doing the same for the Coachella Valley Weekly in 2012.

I live in Palm Springs with my wife and our amazing dog, Denver. 

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