The Baker Suite
Your Dreaming Self
Independent / The Planet Company
Acclaimed
Adelaidian duo The Baker Suite return with their fourth full-length cut, having
lost none of their subtlety or playful songwriting prowess with the passing of
time.
I say playful
because, even though the music itself – largely driven by John Baker’s voice
and simple acoustic guitar, and Gayle Buckby’s sparingly used accordion – is
sparse and quiet for the most part, it carries itself jauntily, a skip in its
sonic step, songs that burrow into your ear and stay there, long after the
record is done.
There’s no one
genre you can wedge The Baker Suite into, which has always been a large part of
their appeal. On Your Dreaming Self
they carry on this mixed bag approach, enlisting a number of fine guests in
Shane O’Mara (who also produces) playing guitar and mandolin (the bluegrass-ish
‘Four Sisters’ a picker’s delight), Kate Ceberano on extra vocals, Paul
Grabowsky on piano. The Zephyr Quartet fill the record with lush string sounds,
rounding out a great effort from these quiet achievers.
3.5/5
Samuel J. Fell
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