The third release from Oregon's Rachel Harrington is an album steeped in Americana bluegrass and country. Her first album The Bootlegger's Daughter (2007) went to #1 on the Euro - Americana chart and Whispering Bob went so far as declare it a 'contender for album of the year'. The follow-up City Of Refuge was picked up on by Starbucks, whose in store playing of 3 tracks gave Rachel even wider exposure.

Celilo Falls - which takes its name from a stretch of waterfalls along the Columbia River that once divided the states of Oregon and Washington, is like turning the clock back a century. Ably supported by a superb cast of musicians including Lindisfarne's Rod Clements on slide guitar, it's a delicate finger picking affair centred around Rachel's haunting and plaintive vocals, and mandolins, pedal steel guitars, fiddle, dobro, banjo and bass.

Adopting the 'less is more' philosophy each and every note is audible, and counts. The album opens in some style with the excellent House Of Cards - a melancholy number with some superb pedal steel and fiddle. And really, the whole album demands serious listening. A quick couple of listens just aren't enough to reveal all it has to offer.

So if Americana is your bag, Celilo Falls - a mix of character-driven songs and ballads - is well worth investigating.

***½

Review by Pete Whalley