Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Nashville, Tennessee, have long been hot beds of great music, and songwriters Beki Hemingway and Jonathan Rundman have combined the best of both legendary locations on their collaborative album, Tennesota.
These stripped-town, acoustic tunes stroll easily down the narrow gravel road between country and folk. Regardless of which direction Hemingway or Rundman (often a sonic dead-ringer for Terry Scott Taylor) sidestep along the way, their vocals and songwriting styles lie tastefully side-by-side like truck stop burgers and fries.
Highlight tracks include "Hometown," capturing the internal turmoil of Jesus' rejection in Nazareth, "No Regrets," a ching-changy ode to the open road, "Forgiveness Waltz," a heart-breaking admission that grace is really tough to accept, and "Consolation Prize," which features the unforgettable line, "You may be my consolation, but you're no prize!"
Recommended if you like Nickel Creek, Jayhawks, Lost Dogs, Daniel Amos.
3.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Brian A. SmithSalt Lady Records mogul Jonathan Rundman and songstress Beki Hemingway have been performing together off and on for several years. Both have been asked many times when they would do an album together. Last year they recorded Present, an EP of original Christmas songs that was critically acclaimed, providing the springboard to a full project with both artists. Then, Rundman relocated to Minnesota.…The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Olin JenkinsWhat a neat concept! Beki Hemingway, now residing in Nashville, Tennessee, has a full collaborative project with Minneapolis, Minnesota's Jonathan Rundman. The project's title makes all the sense in the world (or at least in the United States of America): Tennesota, a play on the artists' states and the Americana music encompassing this project. Take the name of this project to heart. If you're…Similar sounding releases
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