Witching Hour gathers Andrew Marlin in the chamber-grass and Appalachian instrumental territory he has been developing alongside his work with Mandolin Orange (now Watchhouse). Marlin's mandolin playing favors melodic phrasing and harmonic patience over the rhythmic attack of the Monroe school, an approach more aligned with John Reischman or the gentler end of David Grisman's catalog than with mainstream bluegrass. The arrangements pair the mandolin with sympathetic acoustic support — fiddle, guitar, bass — in settings that emphasize ensemble texture and mood over individual showcasing. The repertoire is largely original, Marlin's compositions drawing on Appalachian, old-time, and contemporary acoustic-instrumental vocabularies in roughly equal measure. The album sits with his other instrumental projects as documentation of the writing side of his musicianship, distinct from the song-oriented work that has made his vocal-led duo one of the more commercially successful acoustic projects of its generation.
Tracklist
- 1 Fireflies and Fairydust 3:29
- 2 Hawk is a Mule Source Recording 3:11
- 3 Pellinore’s Ride Source Recording 3:52
- 4 Woodland Star Source Recording 4:42
- 5 Just a Pup 3:51
- 6 Lake on the Island 2:48
- 7 Milk Drunk 3:50
- 8 Too Hot to Move 3:56
- 9 Witching Hour 4:17
- 10 Snowblind on Snoopy Hill Source Recording 3:48
- 11 Jenny and the Dulac 6:59
