(Self-released, digital)
In the atlas of musical genres, the cartography of roots/Americana is fairly relaxed and casually expansive. If Potter Stewart had been a banjo player or mandolinist — instead of the U.S. Supreme Court justice who attempted to ascribe parameters to the idea of pornography — he might’ve said Americana music is simply a form of music that “you’ll know it when you hear it.”
The possibilities pinball from country, gospel and bluegrass to rock, classic pop and blues, and no one feels compelled to follow any particular recipe. All these styles are explored in lovely and poignant fashion on To the Moon, the new 13-song recording by award-winning Montpelier singer-songwriter Lizzy Mandell, in partnership with her longtime friend, the Vermont native and multi-instrumentalist, producer, vocalist and tunesmith Colin McCaffrey.
The pair seems to approach each of Mandell’s songs — which are hyper-melodic in a manner that would please Brill Building veterans — as sonic experiments through which they can mix and match elements across the roots spectrum until, in presto! fashion, they come up with something fresh and delightful. Instrumentally, McCaffrey’s fluid virtuosity on a variety of acoustic instruments provides appropriate spicing.
Mandell has one of those pleasing voices that, in her youth, would’ve captivated through an earnest, almost eager charm. With maturity, there’s a deeper, charcoal quality to the tone that conveys a certain well-earned wisdom. McCaffrey, whose own quietly alluring voice has an odd bit of Southern twang, offers pleasant tonal contrast. Between them, they lock in on an effortless vocal partnership one associates with sibling acts from Kate and Anna McGarrigle to Neil and Tim Finn. This includes the duo’s ability to sculpt intricate harmony lines that go beyond the standard root/third or fifth formula.
Lyrically, Mandell has reached an age and a point in her songcraft where pondering life, love, an oft-despairing world and, ultimately, hope yields poignant, wise and even whimsical lessons.
In “The Power of One,” for example, the pair, over a sprightly strummed chord progression, exults in the magical mathematics of romantic connection. The soaring melody is almost prayer-like — but the arrangement gradually expands into a multipart vocal extravaganza that sounds like Brian Wilson took over a bluegrass workshop.
On a few tunes, the pair trades lead vocals, either alternating verses or stanzas, typically gently colliding for the consonance in the choruses. Naturally, this works best when the songs address relationships, and each singer can express her or his emotions. “I Won’t Let You Down” and “Gone Too Long” shine in this context: The former features renewed pledges of commitment — possibly after some shared hard times — and the latter addresses the ache of loneliness and separation. Meanwhile, the examination of a romantic partnership takes a more playful tone in the neo-Dixieland strains of “We’ll Be Friends Again.”
Mandell and McCaffrey are clearly comfortable and happy in their fruitful musical friendship, and To the Moon is a lovingly nuanced effort that shows there is plenty of frontier left for them to explore.
To the Moon is available on major streaming services.
This article appears in Sep 17-23 2025.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!