This enchanting album weaves together the intricate fingerstyle guitar mastery of Paul LaBrecque with the soulful, ethereal vocals of Valerie Webb, creating a sonic tapestry rooted in folk, acoustic, and world music traditions. Recorded in the lush Vermont woods, the title track "Trees" evokes the whispering rustle of leaves and ancient forest spirits through LaBrecque's cascading arpeggios and Webb's haunting chants.
Tracks like "Hollers" channel raw Appalachian calls into rhythmic, percussive guitar riffs blended with layered harmonies, while "Chants" draws from global vocal traditions—think Bulgarian harmonies meets Native American influences—for meditative, trance-like builds. Standouts include the playful "Whirlybird," a nod to Klezmer energy, and the tender ballad "River Song," where Webb's crystalline voice floats over gentle strums.
At just under 45 minutes across 10 tracks, Trees, Chants and Hollers feels like a woodland ritual: intimate, organic, and deeply immersive. Perfect for fans of early Mike + The Mechanics, John Fahey, or modern acts like Fleet Foxes seeking something more primal. It's acoustic storytelling at its most vivid, capturing nature's wild pulse in every note.