Release the Sunshine

Personnel: Martha Johnson (vocals, autoharp); Tom Martin (vocals); Craig Boswell (drums).
This pretty if somewhat low-key album is a nice piece of folk/sunshine pop with resonant Autoharp and guitar, a kind of reflective male/female vocal mix that recalls the first Jefferson Airplane album, and some diverting psychedelic lyrics. Not knowing the Folklords' Release the Sunshine won't make you a failure in '60s music lore or trivia, even in Canada, whence they hail, but hearing it isn't the worst way to spend 40 (or 80) minutes of your time. "Forty Second River" has a spacy quality that's pretty diverting and "Windows" a stark lyricism that's a bit like the Signe Anderson-era Airplane, before the latter's wattage got boosted. Some of it is a little on the lugubrious side ("Pardon Me Judas"), while other songs seem like potential singles ("Thank You for Your Kindness"). ~ Bruce Eder