Reviews

A hybrid of Ethnic, Folk and Celtic musical influences, Flower & McLaren’s 4th CD, “Twenty Years-Twenty Rivers,” is yet another lively and joyful celebration from accomplished multi-instrumentalists evolving their own unique musical genre in an age of drill-down specialization. Trading instruments and musical textures like a runner changes socks, Flower & McLaren mix and match (acoustic) instruments and moods throughout this musically abundant, 12-song (55+minutes) album; blending guitar and accordion on an infectious jig (“The Monaghan Jig…”); piano and fiddle on a minor key, down-from-the-mountain-like air (“Rick & Val’s Happy Garden Day…”); mandolin and piano on a beautifully solemn ballad (“Sherrill’s Lament”); and even ragtime-inspired piano with brushed drums on a bouncy reel (“Sally’s Reel”).

Regardless of pairing, though, their music is informed with the kind of lived-in and timeless grace that makes you swear these songs have been handed down through generations. And while folk purists are sticklers for tradition and heritage, what ultimately moves music and culture forward are visionaries who draw from the past to fashion art that is right for their times, without being stuck in the moment. “Twenty Years-Twenty Rivers,” the terrific new CD by Flower & McLaren, is an organic melding of acoustic and vocal music traditions beyond genre or unnecessary limitations.

– Rice B. & the RadioIndy Reviewer Team –

"Robin Flower and Libby McLaren bring wit, searing virtuosity and warm humanity to Steelhead in the Riffles, their fourth collaboration. The CD offers 24 original tunes and 4 Irish songs arranged into 12 brilliantly constructed sets, covering a wide range of material. But the bottom line is that these women are having the time of their lives, and it shows. Roaring from delicate to powerhouse, their music is moving, fun, and dazzlingly imaginative.

This is not a genre that I know well. Sometimes a lack of knowledge can be an impediment to full enjoyment, but that is definitely not the case with Steelhead. Plain and simple, it's a good time. Flower plays mandolin, guitar and fiddle, McLaren covers the piano, and accordion; both handle their axes with equal amounts of passion and agility. Flower's sizzling strings grab your attention right out of the gate but it is the second track, "Billy Tave's Hornpipe," that turned my head around. The intricate interplay between piano and bright mandolin is joyful perfection. Their years of playing together have gained them a musical intimacy that is extraordinary. As they anticipate each other's direction, their playing becomes a brilliant dance of unity and harmony, adding a unique and enriching element of excitement to each piece.

A favorite track is "Luna's Slip Jig," opening with Flower's sweetly yearning fiddle, slowly joined by McLaren's rolling piano, the two dancing together with a delicate passion that is both exciting and moving. But the closing "Mouth of Dillon Creek" is nothing short of perfection. This exquisite composition drives piano and fiddle to an exciting crescendo; drive is the operative word here, and I mean drive 'em hard. At song's end, you realize you've been holding your breath in wonder.
Nope, not knowing much about Celtic Americana isn't going to hurt you on Steelhead in the Riffles. You don't need to know what a riffle is to know wildly imaginative music when you hear it."

— Indie-Music.com Kevan Breitinger —

"What happens when two musical crafts people with a long-standing interest in fishing and Irish music take a vacation in Ireland? Robin Flower and Libby McLaren made a trip a couple of years ago. They don't say how good the flyfishing was but they certainly caught the best of the music and filtered it through a deep musical sensibility to produce this little gem of an album. 


Flower and McLaren are mainstays of the vibrant Northern California roots music scene. They play a multitude of instruments but this recording has a focus on fiddle, accordion, piano and mandolin with twelve rich and varied selections. On Cedar Waxwings at the Winter Window/Tom McLaren's Reel, the interplay of piano and fiddle is particularly delightful. It's a piece that could have been ripped right out of Michael O'Suilleabhain's composition book. It builds to a crescendo crowned by some scat singing from McLaren on the reel dedicated to her father. 
Molly's Step Dance/Jig for Judith/Rosemary's Real Jig and Mellie's Mandolin are tunes that march along nicely.

Skip and Buzz's Wild Goose Chase is another sweetly conceived melody that trips along on a pairing of piano and mandolin. Andrei's First Waltz in America swings in a sweet country and Western Isles style. Another excellent medley, book-ended by two trad favorites, starts our gently with Over the Moor to Maggie, flies through Gleeson's Pub, and ends up sauntering through Morning Dew. Bill Bender's/The Bank of Ireland/Piper's Despair is a set driven along by a percussive guitar backing with consummate accordion work by McLaren.

The album closes with The Mouth of Dillon Creek, a marvelous extended piece that wouldn't be out of place on a Kila record. It features a shape-shifting tempo with a fiddle, piano, and bass merging into a powerful pattern. 
This album can be paired beautifully with a record such as A Fool's Dream by Pat Crowley and Johnny McCarty. Each shares a solid, Irish traditional-based musicality and pairs a collection of new compositions with a few old ones thrown in as reminders of the source of the continuing inspiration."

— Tom Clancy - Irish Music Magazine —

This CD is so close to the traditional music style in Cape Breton that I fell in love with it at first listen. Even so, its California sparkle makes it unique in the world of Celtic Music.

These two ladies shamelessly indulged in a musical trip to Ireland before making this CD, and that might explain how some of the music is reminiscent of Cape Breton; if we take the musical tree back far enough there's sure to be Irish in the Scottish Blend, or visa versa. I was completely taken in by the traditional sound of their music partnered with a few modern twists. A light but masterful touch brings the best from their instruments. The music flies, lifts, and flows, with no slips or breaks.

I think it's time Flower and McLaren made a trip to Cape Breton. Id like to hear them in person and if the Celtic Colors Festival folks are reading this, hint, hint. I'd like to check the family tree of these ladies, since I think a lot of Cape Bretoners went west to California years ago, and I like to think they might just belong to us. But even if they don't, they are inspiring folk musicians and this CD has a special place in my collection.

— Virginia MacIsaac - Rambles.net —