When I pre-ordered my copy of the Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves self-titled debut album from Free Dirt Records, I also ordered the seven-inch single from Anna & Elizabeth featuring their take on the traditional songs “Hop High” and “Here in the Vineyard.”
The two tracks were released in 2017 and serve as a kind of proving ground for the experimental approach to traditional music the duo would present on the their 2018 full-length, The Invisible Comes to Us, released on Smithsonian Folkways. GBB reviewed that album in May last year.
With the help of producers Alec Spiegelman and Benjamin Lazar Davis (who are members of avant-pop outfit Cuddle Magic), Anna & Elizabeth re-imagine “Hop High” and “Here in the Vineyard” employing their ethereal aesthetics, with haunting and delicate harmonies surrounded by unexpected instruments like pump organ, woodwinds, strings and electronics, as well as banjo tunings that were reportedly inspired by the Indonesian gamelan.
On “Hop High,” an electronic beat drives the rhythm and weaves in and out of the arrangement as Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle blend their vocals to create a droning eeriness, which is offset by the airy instrumentals that evoke nature and springtime.
“Here in the Vineyard” is the literal and metaphorical flipside, beginning with haunting vocals from LaPrelle, who is joined in the second verse by Roberts-Gevalt. The pump organ dominates the musical arrangement, as the song builds in a slow progression, adding strings and other instruments. There is a crescendo before the instruments recede toward the end with LaPrelle’s vocals the focal point once more. "Here in the Vineyard" is the autumnal companion to the vernal "Hop High."
The 45-rpm record is available through the Free Dirt website ($6.49). It is also available as a digital download in both MP3 or FLAC ($1.99). If you enjoyed The Invisible Comes to Us, this two-song snack is well worth your time.
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