Jazz and swing music is making a resurgence in the alternative/independent/underground scene with the likes of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, and Mighty Blue Kings. Havalina Rail Co. is a band that would be categorized in the same genres as the aforementioned. This is HRC's third album and first on the Jackson/Rubio label following two releases on Tooth & Nail Records. "Russian Lullabies" is a 15 song CD that is explained much by its title, lullabies. The songs are soft and jazzy, in semi-typical HRC style. Frontman Matt Wignall is said to have written most of the songs while backpacking through Europe and Russia with his new bride on their honeymoon. Russian Lullabies utilizes much more violin and cello than in their previous releases with strong and beautiful background vocals by Seirra Hart, Lori Surri, and Lori Hoopes. The HRC sound has a somewhat loose, jazzy feel, and at times just a crazy/zany barrage of percussion, upright bass, guitar, washboard, cello, saxophone, howling vocals, and usually more. I have to admit that HRC's first release was an unparalleled experience, creative and original in many ways. Havalina Rail Co. set a standard in their first release that, unfortunately, they have been unable to reproduce for one reason or another. They're still a great band, especially live, but I think they've gone a direction that has left a lot of fans with unrequited expectations. I hope someday they get back that zany swing freedom they so creatively expressed in their first CD.
Other coverage for this album
Exit Zine 1999Reviewed by James M. BranumHavalina Rail Company is truly unique among bands in either the Christian or secular industries. And in their uniqueness, Havalina has created something truly special. In their latest album, Russian Lullabies, they incorporate elements of Russian folk music, rock, rockabilly, classical, and jazz, and yet never completely identify themselves with a particular genre. The album is a concept album…Puddlegum 1998Reviewed by Kevin FlickHavalina Rail Co. is a band of artistic musicians that are ahead of their time, and should proudly bear the honor of being called avant garde. Their latest release, Russian Lullabies, is a daring musical masterpiece, driven by the central theme of lost love capitolizing on symbolism of the cold Siberian tundra. If an artist was searching for popularity, the direction that Havalina has gone would…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Josh SpencerI read somewhere that the Co. studied traditional Russian music without actually listening to any, and then reproduced what they'd learned for this album. They do this with drums, plenty of background vocals, saxophone, violin, bass, male and female vocals, percussion, flute, a washboard, cello, xylophone, and guitars of varying types and tones (but usually not all at once)--their usual eclectic…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Shari LloydThe music on this album is described by the band as their attempt to do what Stravinsky once did for jazz. Without ever hearing jazz, he attempted to compose pieces based on what he had read about it. The music ended up nothing like jazz, and like nothing else either. In this case, one can definitely hear the Eastern influences in the music. Based on the romantic images they found in literature…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by James StewartI'm currently studying Russia in my history class so I was eager to hear this album - both to hear Havalina Rail Co's impression of Russian folk music and to explore the imagery they were reputed to employ here. To prepare for this album, the band studied Russian culture and music, without actually listening to any of the music, and mixed what they'd learned with their other influences to produce…Similar sounding releases
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