When it comes to charming and exciting Celtic roots music, it doesn’t get much better than Qristina and Quinn Bachand. The brother and sister duo (whose heritage lies in France and Spain) of Victoria, Canada have spent the past seven years tearing up the folk and roots industry, demanding to be heard. The classically-trained Qristina began studying music at the age of 6, following fiddle scholarships while her multi-instrumentalist brother Quinn is currently following his own at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Gypsy-jazz stylings are what inform his side band Brishen, leading to much critical acclaim within the jazz music industry and adding to the impressive narrative that has seen the sibling pair win countless coveted awards. They released their debut album ‘Relative Minors’ in 2008 and immediately turned heads, combining extremely proficient Celtic string music with a fresh, alt pop sensibility. Their sophomore project ‘Family’ came in 2011, only serving to further thrust them into the limelight, while its follow-up ‘Little Hinges’ recently graced record players all over.
‘Little Hinges’ is an album of many parts. Firstly there are the impressive instrumentals, such as ‘Reunion’, The Bachand Jigs’, ‘Hangman’s Reel’ and ‘The Welcome Farewell Set’, which are all examples in perfect string counterpoint. In each Qristina’s fiddling leads, while Quinn’s banjo proves a worthy duel partner for three to four minutes of music-making so expressive that even the most vocal-driven of us are found to enjoy it. Speaking of vocals, there are plenty of instances where they crop up on this record. Qristina’s in particular are glorious, adding a sweetness to the charming little ditties of ‘Listen’ and my personal favorite ‘What You Do With What You’ve Got’. The latter is where their folk pop credentials come to the fore, the catchy winding melody shining in the stripped-back but rhythmic arrangement.
What forms the gritty meat of the record, however, is a far more progressive folk rock sound, electric guitars swirling hauntingly over reverb and abstract noises that sometimes err on the avant-garde. ‘Crooked Jack’ plays it safe in this regard, adding prominent fiddle and banjo to the mix although utilizing them in a more atmospheric, brooding manner than they are elsewhere. The title track lingers in the air as background noises come to play with drone acoustic guitar picking and vocoder-tainted vocalizations, while ‘Hang Me’ continues to push the envelope with electronically-enhanced harmonies and almost psychedelic banjo and guitar playing. Quinn gets to try out his vocals too, and we hear them crawling through the edginess of ‘Saint Nothing’ as a rare break from the purity of Qristina’s voice.
The dissonance of the folk rock juxtaposed against the sweet alt pop and traditional Celtic roots music is going to challenge some listeners. But in a good way – if roots is going to evolve and if Qristina and Quinn are going to evolve they must explore how music has the power to influence us and construct a brilliant soundscape. On the likes of ‘Jimmy’s Fiddle’, ‘Three Little Babes’ and ‘Never Goodbye’ they even go so far as to combine all of these influences inside the songs’ three-minute existences, creating a kind of bittersweetness that leaves us both welcoming and rejecting the changes in sonics before settling in and considering the impact.
‘Little Hinges’ won’t be for everyone, but then it’s not designed to be. Here Qristina and Quinn Bachand demonstrate that they want to be more than just string players, more than just folkies, and reach listeners far beyond their native Western Canada. It is a learning curve and a powerful symbol of the changes occurring in roots music in the 21st century, as well as another chapter in the journey of these talented musicians.
Originally posted here.
