Tumbledown House: Fables and Falsehoods

Tumbledown House
Fables and Falsehoods
Silent Coyote
2012-03-20

This Bozeman, Montana duo — Gillian Howe and Tyler Ryan Miller — get a bit of help from members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and others across 10 tunes. Howe’s a capable singer, especially on “Little Castaway”, “One Mistake Will Do”, and “The Help”. There are hints of jazz and hokum lite throughout and, on the whole, a certain timidity — a near reluctance to bow to grit. In short, it’s all a little too perfect. Worse crimes have been committed, of course, but a few flaws, a few false moves, might have actually added to the duo’s appeal. Nice, maybe too nice.

RATING 6 / 10