Review: The Whispering Tree - Go Call The Captain

The Whispering Tree - Go Call The Captain
2010, Modern Vintage Recordings

New York City-based duo The Whispering Tree have been turning heads for six years now. Classically trained vocalist Eleanor Kleiner and French bassist Elie Brangbour met in 2004 at the London Center for Contemporary Music. The Whispering Tree has gigged all over the world, including a long-standing gig in China on their way to settling in Astoria, Queens. On April 6, 2010, The Whispering Tree releases their full-length debut album, Go Call The Captain, featuring their distinctively flavored original blend of folk and rock.

Go Call The Captain opens with “By The Side Of The Road”, a solid folk/rock tune that seems like a likely first single from the album. “So Many Things” is a great taken on commercialism and consumerism. The song is vibrant and very well written, but the highlight of the song and the disc really, is Kleiner’s voice. Eleanor Kleiner has a voice full of warmth, with tremendous tone and an almost angelic beauty. That voice carries “Song To Silence The World” in spite of a distinct lack of energy. “Go Call The Captain” is a SongDoor songwriting competition winner, and takes on the corporate world in obsequious and sometimes awkward terms. The best song on the CD is “Slide”, a funky pop tune with acoustic instrumentation and a light hip-hop beat. Brangbour is the life of this tune, offering a vibrant bass line that enlivens the song as an equal partner to Kleiner’s gorgeous voice. This is a potential hit. “Soon” and “Washed Ashore” close out the album on a quiet note, neither able to live up to the level of “Slide”.

Go Call The Captain is a solid introduction to The Whispering Tree. Eleanor Kleiner has a voice you could listen to all day, and Elie Brangbour helps to build a vital base for Kleiner, at times supporting her and at times offering a vital contemporary voice to the songs. Go Call The Captain is a bit uneven on the songwriting side, but there’s a definite chemistry between Kleiner and Brangbour that serves them well and should continue to do so many albums into the future.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Whispering Tree at http://www.thewhisperingtree.com/ or www.myspace.com/thewhisperingtree. Go Call The Captain drops on April 6, 2010. Keep checking the band's website for availability.