Bearfoot Reviewed

Bearfoot

With the twin fiddles of Annalisa Tornfelt and Angela Oudean reeling against each other and lead vocal duties passed between each member, Anchorage, Alaska, quintet Bearfoot threatens to implode under the weight of the bandmates' individual talents. While the group's third album manages to wrangle its collective impulse effectively, the diversity of the material sets up a tenuous balance wherein the tunes never unfold as fully as they intend to. Tornfelt's quietly plodding "Sweet Pea" and the aching strain of "Just Stay" bookend Mike Mickelson's mellow lead on Doc Watson's "Deep River Blues," while mandolinist Jason Norris' rough vocals struggle with his "Easier Days." The group cuts convincingly traditional on opening harmonizer "Molasses" and instrumental "Village Idiot," and Tornfelt smolders "The Most Lonely" with a Gillian Welch subtlety, forgiving her grating wail on "Go on Home." Though not quite finding a cohesive footing, Bearfoot stands well among the new crop of young pickers. (Saturday, 11am, Hill Country Stage; Sunday, 12:30pm, Campground Stage.)