"From the chugging bliss of “Green River Blues” to the dizzying banjo work of “Feels Like Home,” the Boxcar Lilies pack the album with reflective lyrics, masterful instrumentation and infectious harmonizing, their trademark quality.”-- Zak Jason, The Cape Cod Times
Heartwood is The Boxcar Lilies’ debut studio release - ten songs beautifully produced and engineered by Dave Chalfant (Erin McKeown, The Nields) at Sackamusic studios nestled in the woodsy hilltown of Conway, MA.
Comprised of nine originals and a stellar version of Neil Young’s “Old Man”, the collection pays homage to a variety of traditional genres including folk, bluegrass, and country, but it has a decidedly contemporary feel. The hallmark of the record is The Boxcar Lilies’ spine-tingling and innovative harmonies. Their singing voices, like their writing voices, are distinct and exceptional, but combine to make a delicious whole – a sound that is sometimes delicate, sometimes gritty, but always uniquely warm and welcoming.
Backing Jenny (guitar, concert ukulele), Stephanie (guitar, percussion), and Katie (guitar, banjo), are an impressive group of musicians including Dave Chalfant on guitar and bass, Jim Henry (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tracy Grammer) on Dobro, guitar, and mandolin, and Eric Lee (The Strangelings) on fiddle.
Tracks from the record have been played on numerous radio stations in the U.S. and abroad, including Gene Shay's The Folk Show (WXPN, Philadelphia), WRSI (Northampton, MA), and on Rich Warren's Midnight Special(WFMT, Chicago/Syndicated) when it was named one of "Rich's Picks" for the week. "It sounds like the Boxcar Lilies have been writing, playing and singing this kind of music for a long time. Let’s hope that this is just the first of many more albums to come from this special group." --Justin Abelson, The Recorder (Greenfield, MA)
