The Ginn Sisters

continued

Many of the sisters' songs have a tone somewhere between mournfulness and mature pessimism, but others are more wryly upbeat. These are associated with another non-country aspect of the Ginn Sisters' music, one most effective in live shows--Brit Ginn's flute and occasional melodica, a sort of accordion stretched out to the dimensions of a clarinet (with a keyboard rather than valves). It puts in an appearance at least a couple of times per show, adding a humorous touch and a musical counterpart to the sisters' extension of country music's lyrical-emotional frameworks.

The Ginn Sisters work slowly, releasing new music only once every several years--noteworthy in the highly competitive Austin scene, where every band tries to break out of the pack. Blood Oranges is now three years old, and I'm anxious to hear what this quite ambitious duo is coming up with next. They've played several good shows at the Ark, and they make a return visit Wednesday, August 12.   

[Originally published in August, 2009.]