A recent CD release reviewed

TRES CHICAS
Sweetwater Yep Roc
****

Don't be misled. This is not some Tex-Mex offshoot. Rather it is minor royalty from the North Carolina roots domain finding common sisterly cause and sharing killer harmonies on a warm-hearted, low-key selection of alt.country. Caitlin Cary has followed a hit and miss solo career since her time shadowing Ryan Adams in Whiskeytown, Tonya Lamm is late of the desert minstrels Hazeldine and Lynn Blakey was once with Let's Active. Together they make a sweet old-fashioned three-part harmony on a bunch of songs that aim for the heart with the odd tasty detour, such as a cover of George Jones's Take the Devil Out of Me. The mood is as in a session and they all have their moments, Cary's on her own Linda Thompson-ish Desire, Lamm on the self-penned In A While and Blakey on the Emmylou-sounding Heartbeat, but overall this is the sound of three exceptional voices relishing the sheer joy of singing together. www.treschicas.org

Joe Breen