California Backwoods is a more or less family affair that counts mother, sister, and brother among its five members. They call their music "American Eclectic" as it incorporates several down-home musical styles. There's bluegrass in "(She's A) Willy's" with its banjo and mandolin. Barbershop harmonies are featured in "Community Watch." "Wild Horses" reminds me of Jefferson Airplane, albeit acoustically backed, with its classic rock guitar and André Combs' Grace Slick-like vocals. "20's Flavor" has a distinct, well, 1920's flavor with Lee Reed's lead vocal and Bruce Anderson's clarinet. The ten songs were recorded at Record Two in Mendocino, California, onto a 2" analog 16-track deck through a "70's board." There was minimal overdubbing and the songs were all cut in less than a week. Lookout has a nice warm sound, and although the bass is a bit too strong in some spots, it's a very enjoyable album.
You can get Lookout on cassette for $7.95 or CD for $14.95 from California Backwoods, Star Route Box 30D, Kettenpom, CA, 95595.
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