TATTLETALE SAINTS: How Red Is the Blood

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Tattletale Saints
How Red Is the Blood
Old Oak 003
Guitarist Cy Winstanley and bassist Vanessa McGowan are New Zealanders, but met in the US playing jazz. On returning to New Zealand, they began playing as the country-folk duo Tattletale Saints. When it came time to record an album, they successfully crowd-funded their way back to the US, enlisting Tim OāBrien along the way and recording their album at The Butcher Shoppe in Nashville.
Despite the Saintsā jazz roots, their songs work best when keeping things simple. While a few of the more upbeat tracks, like opener āKathleen,ā have definite pop cachet, the quieter tracks resonate more fully. āTraces of Youā recalls āSave the Last Dance For Meā without being imitative, and the contemplative instrumental āJessica On Prairie Legsā provides a lovely interlude in the second half of the record. The title track waltzes through the middle of the album, dissecting the aftermath of ruinous romance with their best harmonies and a beautiful, understated mandolin solo from OāBrien.
While it remains to be seen how the Saints will fare in this country, January saw them take home the New Zealandās āTuiā award for best folk album. One can only imagine what awaits them here if they can manage to catch AAA radioās attention, or nab some licensing spots; their music is a great fit for either of those formats.
ā Dan Greenwood
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