Made the Harbor

iTunes Review

If you’re looking for the punk/metal hardcore Mountain Man, chances are the honeyed, three-part harmonies of Amelia Meath, Molly Sarle and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig will drive you right off this page. If, however, you are in search of shimmering, airborne vocal melodies that offer both sharp emotional edges and pastoral tranquility, this Vermont trio of young women will enchant you. Meeting at college, and somewhat startled by the exhilarating sounds they made together, the three singers began writing material — largely a cappella, dressed with minimal acoustic guitar — that resonates with early Americana roots music and devotional tones. Made the Harbor feels as organic and pure as the air of an early Appalachian morning, but it’s tempered with both playfulness (especially “Buffalo,” “Mouthwings,” “How’m I Doin’”), and an underlying rapturous, sometimes sultry, quality (“Soft Skin,” “Arabella”). The delightful trilling and harmonizing in “Animal Tracks” is a stellar representation of this charming and surprisingly sturdy debut.