Rise Early

Annick Odom, lead singer and principal songwriter of this trio—named after a wild flower that proliferates in Appalachian West Virginia—grew up in two cultures and spend her formative years in both West Virginia and the Netherlands, where she formed this band.  Sweet Joe Pye currently divides its time between Europe and the Morgantown, West Virginia, area and has played a slew of festivals overseas.

No surprise that these three bring a unique trans-Atlantic slant to the old-time musical styles and the folkloric mountain culture, in which Odom clearly has immersed herself.  Sweet Joe Pye’s principal template is old-time fiddle tunes, which on their new EP, are often set to modern themes.

The opening track, “Blote Voeten,” is a wedding song that Odom wrote for a friend and sings in Dutch. She has a sweet, engaging voice full of wistfulness and reverie.  The somber, searching “Moonwalk,” also penned by Odom is, according to the accompanying press material, “a lullaby for a student who was killed in a drive-by shooting.”

This collection, which was recorded in Paris, is rounded out by a pair of fiddle tunes composed by bandmember Henri Colombat: “Blue Crab” and “Sweet Joe Pye.”  All told, Sweet Joe Pye’s unique marriage of styles and influences filtered through old-time stringband sensibilities makes for intriguing listening.