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"The Things We Keep, like its tuneful predecessor, 2002's Out of Time, is
an engaging amalgam of harmony vocals, tasty folk rock, and, most
importantly, intelligent and astute songwriting that fully realizes that
whatever the two songwriters are living through, most of their audience
has also experienced. Unlike many contemporaries, the duo and its
producer-guitarist, Billy Masters, know not to overproduce the music, and
instead let the songs speak not only for themselves but to Open Book's
deservedly growing audience."
"Following their auspicious debut album, "Out of Time," Rick Gedney and Michele Rubin have racheted things up several notches with their second album, "The Things We Keep." Right at home in the middle of a masterful mix of instruments, we hear the finest country/folk/rock harmonies since the Everly Brothers. Rubin's glass-like purity mixes perfectly with Gedney's soft delivery alongside a tastful mix of swirling slide guitar, mandolin, atmospheric piano, and more. The songs range from doubt to devotion, but are handled with conviction throughout."
"Open Book is the working identity of singer/songwriters Michele Rubin and
Rick Gedney. An amalgam of folk inflected styles with tunes that concern
themselves with love and loss, their music crosses into the urban
landscape as easily as it inhabits and embraces it’s rural roots. The
duo’s harmonies are sublime and tastefully evocative; their music is amply
fulfilling and the structures incorporate sounds that travel far outside
the standard instrumentation of the base genre to incorporate sounds from
the city and world. A top flight release."
"Wow...what a great CD. All the sounds I love to hear in a contemporary folk-rock
song are right there in the first minute of the album...and then those voices.
Not to mention great musicians. I am definitely loving this CD."
"...Open Book is a folk-rock duo, yes, but...the big advantage of having two co-leaders in harmony and agreement rests on the spectrum of influence and experience each brings to the table...songcraft and soul-filling vocals of sterling quality..."
"Open Book's songs build on Rick and Michele's beautiful and entwining
harmonies, achieving an incantatory power."
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