An otherwise unassuming duo, Britain’s Green Tree manage to make a marked impression. The pair — Abbey Thomas on mandolin and vocals and Rory Francis on guitar and harmonies — arrived at their current collaboration after their tenure in a previous ensemble, the prominent British bluegrass band, Old Baby Mackerel.
The sound on this, their eponymous debut EP, is simple and supple, all tender, emotive offerings that reflect the pair’s heartfelt and homespun designs. Relying solely on unadorned acoustic arrangements and instrumentation, their delicate approach maintains its melodic appeal throughout each of the five songs in this set, one that veers ever so subtly from a pair of expressive instrumentals (Where the Gnomes Live and To the Brisons) to the earnest and winsome White As Snow, and the ebullient and engaging Take To the Sea. The two musicians combine their precise picking with a solid skillset that finds them consistently delivering in sync.
The music draws from bluegrass essentials, while also parlaying a folk-like finesse that reflects their traditional English origins. One song in particular, Mister Robin, sounds like an old English folk tune, as it reflects the tender trappings that might accompany any archival offering. It’s yet another lovely example of Green Tree’s elegiac engagement, and Thomas and Francis’ delightfully harmonious designs.
Given the fact that all the tracks on this eponymous debut were self-composed and recorded live in the studio, the EP bodes well for whatever might follow. It’s not only a spirited introduction, but an excellent example of the way bluegrass can inspire imagination and ingenuity when two talented musicians take flight based on their instincts and intentions. Once can only hope that the seed Green Tree’s planted here will be the roots from which they blossom even further.
