Sugar Hill Records 3991

In an interesting series of events, The Duhks' (pronounced ducks, not dukes) debut album, 2002's Your Daughters and Your Sons was actually released after their — other debut? — self-titled release. Until now, Your Daughters & Your Sons was only available at the band’s shows and, recently, online. Oh the glittery appeal of signing to a label. Their style has been called “contemporary acoustic,” but “contemporary Celtic mixed with a bit of jamband style” is more like it. However, it doesn’t have to be defined or trapped into one genre; that’s the beauty of today’s music.

To keep this album away from the general public until now just wasn’t fair. It opens with a Celtic sounding fiddle that makes one wonder if he's in an Irish pub, rather than wherever he may be listening. On the second track, “Rock of Ages” not to be confused with Def Leppard’s song of the same name singer Jessica Havey draws the listener further into the album with her hauntingly beautiful voice. The band plays a mixture of original songs, covers, and traditional ballads, sometimes blending two or three songs to a track. For example, the French-sung the band hails from Winnipeg, Canada track six is titled: “Le Meunier et la Jeune Fille; Les Quatre Fer en L’air.” And it’s not just a bit confusing because of the French title track nine is “The Seine River Waltz; Anna William’s Reel; The Newfoundland Reel.”

Four years ago, the members of The Duhks were in their late teens and early twenties, making the album even more impressive. Havey’s vocals and Tania Elizabeth’s fiddle and violin playing amass talent beyond their years the members could certainly be called prodigies. And if they had this much talent back then, only more greatness can be expected from future releases.