High, Wide & Handsome
The Trishas
Label: The Trishas Music, LLC
Release: August 7, 2012
Reviewed: August 5, 2012
High, Wide & Handsome is the debut full-length album by the Austin, Texas, based country group, The Trishas and what a debut it is.The all-female quartet is made up of Savannah Welch, Kelley Mickwee, Liz Foster and Jamie Wilson and first performed in 2009. The intent was purely as a tribute to Savannah’s singer/songwriter father, Kevin Welch. So unintentional was the “group”, they didn’t even have a name to call themselves. However, after offers started pouring in after their performance in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, they had to call themselves something. They ultimately took the name, The Trishas, from a Trisha Yearwood tune that was written by Welch.
Things started happening fast for the ladies. They were showcased at the Americana Music Association Conference & Festival and caught the attention of Raul Malo. Malo invited the group to sing on his Sinners & Saints CD. Ray Wylie Hubbard pulled them in to work on his CD, A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment.
With the release of High, Wide and Handsome, The Trishas present an album that’s expected from much more well-established acts. They brought in help from Nashville area songwriters, Bruce Robison, Natalie Hemby, John Eddie and Savannah’s dad and her brother, Dustin. Jason Eady, Owen Temple and Turnpike Troubadour Evan Felker are among other co-writers. Jim Lauderdale helped out on a bonus, download-only track, “A Far Cry From You,” a Peter & Gordon-worthy gem that also features Malo on vocals. (The Malo track is available as an exclusive bonus download.).
The three randomly chosen Boomerocity favorites from this incredible debut CD are:
The opening cut, Mother of Invention. Jamie Wilson says of that song, “That song is about what we do. It’s about when something happens, you make do and get creative to find solutions. Like when our drummer quit; we just brought drums up front and we play them now.”
Why is smooth, easy, and silky in melody, lyrics and delivery. It’s as though some scientist found a way clone Miranda Lambert and Joni Mitchell into a group. Wow!
Probably the most favorite tune on this CD is Rainin’ Inside. How could it not be with lyrics like, “Billy Holiday is killing me, like she’s been reading my mind. I dropped a needle on her yesterday and I’ve been listening all this time.” Boomerocity predicts that this tune will be considered a Trishas classic for many years to come.
Buy this CD. It will be a classic as the Trishas are definitely here to stay.
Written by Randy Patterson
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