The Trishas
High, Wide & HandsomeBy the time they released their introductory EP, 2010’s They Call Us the Trishas, the local quartet had already garnered national accolades and recorded with Raul Malo and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Little surprise, then, that their debut LP arrives with a preternatural polish and poise. While attention on the four-part harmonies of Jamie Wilson, Liz Foster, Kelley Mickwee, and Savannah Welch remains front and center, it’s the songwriting on High, Wide & Handsome that suggests a rarer cumulative talent. With a base of co-writers – Bruce Robison, Owen Temple, Jason Eady, and Dustin and Kevin Welch, among others – the Trishas craft songs so tightly wound that they can almost be heard spooling from single-line conceits into expert emotional narratives. “Mother of Invention,” with its boot-shuffling harmonies, supplies an easy acoustic foundation to open, Mickwee following directly with the quivering heartbreak of “Strangers,” and Wilson hearkening classic Dolly Parton on “Little Sweet Cigars.” Backed by Nashville session pros, the production wisely remains stark in deference to the ladies’ core appeal, with “Liars & Fools” and “Cheater’s Game” casting pure country strains. There’s not a misstep among the tracks, but likewise few risks, even though there are still enough unique impressions in their collective talent to push boundaries. Foster’s Joni Mitchell-esque “Why,” speakeasy burner “Cold Blooded Love,” and quietly stunning torcher “Rainin’ Inside” all speak to the Trishas’ bountiful chemistry. “When there’s nothing left to burn, set yourself on fire,” rise the harmonies on “One Down.” The Trishas’ High, Wide & Handsome leaves only ashes.
This article appears in August 24 • 2012.
