Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Formed: 1993

Personnel:
Melissa Swingle - vocals, guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, saw, Hammond organ
Brad Goolsby - drums, percussion
Daryl White - stand-up bass
Scott Goolsby - guitar, lap steel guitar

Trailer Bride hit their stride on last year's Smelling Salts, and Whine de Lune is a worthy follow-up that works a few changes without messing with the working parts of the Trailer Bride formula.

This time out the songs are more fully arranged, with plenty of acoustic stringed instruments weaving in and out of the mix. Melissa Swingle is still very much the focus; she sings and plays all the nifty acoustic garnishes that make your average Trailer Bride tune such a tasty plate. But the band has cohered into a fine unit with a distinctive ensemble sound. Swingle is a good rhythm guitarist whose gritty chords are an apt foil for new guitarist Scott Goolsby's swooping leads and vinegar-tart fills. Drummer Brad Goolsby and bassist Daryl White muster a celebratory rockabilly drive that keeps things moving. But the meat in this sandwich remains Swingle's songs, which articulate the rural ennui and spiritual/romantic anxiety intimated by her laid-back yet yearning voice.

If you like Trailer Bride, check out:
Grace Braun It Won't Hurt
Moonshine Willy Bold Displays Of Imperfection
Trailer Bride Smelling Salts

-- Bill Meyer