The Rabbitts 'Tall Pines & Tangled Vines' EP review

A beautiful acoustic blend that touches base with the natural world

British folk duo The Rabbitts’ music emulates the forest and mountain terrain that serves as a backdrop to the Canadian landscape.  They credit their stay in British Columbia, Canada as the inspiration behind Tall Pines & Tangled Vines. 

On this latest EP, their warm and beautiful acoustic renderings feature the pair's vocals alongside the mandolin, mandola, guitar, bass, harmonica, whistle, and percussion.

The group is made up of Odhran Linsey (vocals, acoustic guitar, mandola, acoustic bass, harmonica, bodhran, and percussion) and Lucy McKinlay (vocals, mandolin, mandola, whistle, and percussion).  The pair met while studying Environmental Science at the university in the U.K., and have been inseparable ever since, going on adventures together throughout Europe and Canada.

In May 2017, they released their debut EP, entitled, Avocado Ginger Tree, which has since had over 60,000 track downloads.

Their latest EP opens up with “Twisted Pine” that starts off with a great indie vibe that picks up with some ethereal vocals drenched in reverb that overall has this other-worldly feel to the combined vocal harmonies as the acoustic guitar accompanies the singing.  The folk melodies elicit a simple and heartfelt tune.  The warm sound of the harmonica traces itself half-way into the track.  The music is very soothing and placating, eluding a gentle quality to the song.

“Wild” starts off with the cadences of the acoustic guitar, mandolin, and mandola.  The vocals are sung with joy and carry through with a carefree attitude.  This upbeat folk song is sprung with a spirited melody as the percussions give off a strong and energized vibe.  The sounds of the harmonica are interwoven into the track as layered vocal harmonies go on to create a blend of artistic talent from Linsey and McKinlay.

“Swallows” offers up some intricate finger work on the mandola towards the beginning.  Next, the cadences of the flute sidle in.  The track is filled with powerful and poignant imageries from nature.  This is a quiet song but contains a deep kind of warmth.

“Brambles & Blackberries” starts off with some dynamic strumming from the mandola.  Linsey’s vocals, here, are alone accompanied by the solo instrument.  His singing is filled with reverb.  Next McKinlay joins in with her vocals, altogether eliciting a great acoustic folk sound from the combination.

“Luna Lupe” has a country-twist to this folk track with the cadences of the mandala and mandolin interwoven into the song.  The track paints a picturesque picture of the lone wolf waiting for the moon so that she can start her call.  The percussions on this song give the track a spirited vibe and the vocal harmonies come across as energized and lively.

The tune on the mandola on, “Bud Burrow Blues,” is moody as a deep-treading bluesy vibe comes across.  The song is filled with a gritty sound and has a smoldering, smoky cadence as the underlining sound of the harmonica give the cadence a waft of the tangy blues.

“Midnight Moon” carries through with the coalescing of the instrumentals that give off a romantic feel.  The combined vocal harmonies also offer up a mysterious feel.  A lovely sound comes from the mandolin and mandola.  The track is filled with charming descriptions of the starry night sky seen through the light of the moon as the characters in the song play hide-and-seek under the blanket of the night.

“Lonesome Tree” is marked with an island flavor from the stellar cadences of the mandolin giving the song a tropical twist.  The sounds of the percussions give off an engaging feel.  And the vocal harmonies are rocked with a reverberating quality, which gives the track an oldies appeal.  The retro cadence pulls its sound from the '50s-'60s era of garage and psychedelic rock, while a strong a sense of urgency paves the song as the dramatic cadence goes on to draw from the dynamic performance.

The warm acoustic harmonies continue on “Tangerine Green” with the sounds of the mandolin and mandola jumpstarting this track with the acoustic guitar gaining in support and on “First Life” with its memorable, warm folk cadence imbued with an intimate feel.

The world slows down here on this EP as the distinct sounds on this release elicit striking and heartfelt acoustic melodies with the vocals evoking longing as if pining for something lost.

Tall Pines & Tangled Vines enlists in pain-staking detail the natural imageries that draw from the scenes of the duo’s travels.

The natural setting goes on to give off an enchanting vibe, as the combined vocal harmonies ignite a yearning for a simpler way to life, giving the performances on this EP an intimate acoustic feel.

The Rabbitts’ music shies away from the cumbersome distractions that city-living might offer, choosing instead to describe the natural world in their songs.  The duo similarly dives into a similar philosophy, exploring a simpler form of life, living from their van, as the couple pool in all their efforts into the LP.

The Rabbitts are currently touring Canada in promotion of the release.