Recorded live from the Martin Theater in Panama City (FL) for public radio station WKGC, Lucky Mud’s latest CD is a showcase of original contemporary folk music that’s pure down-home Americana. With only acoustic guitar backing, husband and wife duo Mike and Maggie McKinney trade off lead vocal duties over the course of 16 songs that range from Mike’s beautifully melancholic “Evangeline,” to Maggie’s wonderful show-closer, “Ride the Pony.” Opening with the infectious “Radio Intro,” a short ditty for the host station that’s a throw-back to old-time live radio programs, Lucky Mud sets the tone for a set long on heartfelt narratives of simple joys and bittersweet truths. Maggie’s “Mississippi Queen,” with its bluesy refrain, and Mike’s “Born to Honky-Tonk,” a Jerry Jeff Walker-ish tune complete with yodels, hint at Lucky Mud’s musical reach, but it’s the duo’s milk-and-honey harmonies – as on the aching ballad, “Silver Spoon” – that wraps their sound up into one neat package. Presumably the 1st of a series, Lucky Mud’s “Live at the Martin Theater, Vol. 1” CD is a terrific mix of tuneful and meaningful folk songs as rich as the American musical traditions they reflect.
                            Read more...