According to the brief bio posted on her website, Rita Bliss is a folk musician from Rochester, New York who is now based in Austin, Texas. She shares delicate and delightful melodies spawned from old-time melodies, and her travels along the backroads of America’s South.
Driven mostly by her sublime singing, tasteful banjo picking, and the occasional harmonica, Bliss is given delicate accompaniment courtesy of Noah Jeffries on guitar and fiddle, producer Dom Fisher, who also contributes bass and mandolin, and the backing vocals of Jimmie Scott Calhoun. Naturally, Bliss herself takes center stage throughout, whether it’s with the joyful jaunt taken on Drive You To Kentucky, the exceedingly upbeat Love From Lufkin, the easy swoon and sway of Two Dollar Bill, or the quiet caress of banjo ballads like Jeanie, Mountain Time, and Goodbye.
Through it all, Bliss has a way of evoking enduring emotion, and regardless of whether it’s a tender homage to a forever lover, the wistful reflection that brings to mind a favorite watering hole, or simply a shared repast about times spent with friends prior to hitting the highway, the sentiments ring with authenticity and the tender tones that only a highly sensitive singer and songwriter can bring to bear.
What’s all the more remarkable is the fact that Peaches and Apple Pies represents Bliss’ initial outing, one that’s released under independent auspices no less. So while it’s best to reserve some quiet, concentrated time to fully appreciate her delicate debut, one can be assured that it’s time well spent.
A gentle and much-needed respite from a frantic and frenetic world, Peaches and Apple Pies is as thoroughly tasteful and inviting as the temptation of its title implies.
