Album Review: Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson - Wiley Ways

A joyous, fluttering tin whistle, a cheering crowd, a pounding stomp box and a jaunty bluesy guitar riff fade into Power, the opening track of Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson's latest LP Wiley Ways, but it's not until Fitz' voice grinds in midway through that the grit sets in. It's that grit that has made Fitz so well loved over the years and, since hooking up with Irish songstress Robinson, the fear of him losing it has loomed over the heads of his fans. In Power, the record's opener, Robinson proves she can belt out a tune with a similar ferocity as her partner, though this talent isn't always used.

Wiley Ways sees the full scope of Fitz and Robinson's musical oeuvre; blues, folk, rock and Celtic styles are all showcased with mostly effective results, but as a whole piece of work the song content is slightly too incongruent for it to be truly great. It's a shame, because they're adept at every style they tackle. The title track is a great rootsy stomper, Hold My Hand has the hill country drone Fitz has always been good for, while the twang of Tarni Lee is captivating.

You can't question the authenticity and the spirit that they put into these songs and individually they're solid. But, while Wiley Ways might be a collection of great songs, it's not a great album, but that's the downfall of having so much musical experience and heritage to choose from. A more focused attempt at honing in on a narrower genre path would be very much welcome for album number three.