Album Review – El Coyote’s Self-Titled Debut
We’re blessed to live in a time period when there are plenty of woman-led singing duos, trios, and quartets to peruse for your listening pleasure. With the power conjoined female voices can bring to the hopeful and heartbreaking sentiments of country and roots songs, you can’t have enough of this audio virtue. Acts like the Wailin’ Jennys from Winnipeg, All My Exes Live in Texas from Australia, and the Wild Reeds from Los Angeles assure there is plenty of abundance in this space to choose from.
But the one issue a lover of female harmonies who also happens to be a lover of country music will find listening to these respective acts is that despite the promising sounds of their names, they often veer way more folk than what you’re hoping for. That’s not a knock on these women whatsoever, because after all, folk is often a better fit for the approach, and they’re all brilliant at what they do.
But for those fans of the old Carter Family records, or the sounds of the famous Trio collaboration between Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris, you just want something a bit more country backing these strong, beautiful voices. You want the moan of the steel guitar to match the emotion that three part harmonies evoke, and you want sentiments the fit more with the agrarian and blue collar experiences that country music provides.
Enter the band El Coyote from Montreal, Canada who makes all of this happen and in brilliant form in their debut, self-titled album. Made up of three women singers and songwriters named Angela Desveaux, Michelle Tompkins, and Katie Moore backed by a three piece band, they’re just about everything you want from a woman-fronted singing trio as a country fan, but without losing the gentleness of the folk portion of the discipline.
The members of El Coyote all came together in Montreal as part of a kitchen jam session based around a mutual love for true country music and covering classic old songs. Eventually it morphed into something more to help get the respective players through the long Canadian winter. All the players also play in other projects, but they come together in this album with cohesiveness and alacrity with a set of ten completely original songs that are lead strongly by the respective songwriters.
Let’s not overlook the contributions of the backline of El Coyote either, because this is where the project goes from really good to very great. Super tasty steel guitar and dobro by Joe Grass helps bring the unique sound of El Coyote alive. Lead guitarist Mike O’Brien builds the firm base where everything builds from, as well as adding a few harmonies himself for additional texturing. The same goes for bass player Andrew Horton. And like the name implies, there is just a very slight Tex-Mex or Southern California flavor to how these songs evolve.
Drums are only featured on a few tracks, and for some of the hardcore honky tonk fans out there, they will wish for a little more meat on these bones possibly, or they may find the record as a whole perhaps a little sleepy and slow for their tastes. But El Coyote is respectful to the approach they take to this music, and build a sound that is both very unique, yet deeply inferred and grounded in traditional country modes.
El Coyote may consider themselves a side project, but they slide in very nicely into an underserved segment on traditional country music where strong songwriting and strong voices come together in harmony, and re-awaken an important approach to country music that stirs emotions like few others.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
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Purchase/Listen to El Coyote on Bandcamp
(currently not available on other formats, stay tuned)
April 13, 2018 @ 7:00 pm
Thanks for the recommendation Trigger. 🙂
April 13, 2018 @ 8:19 pm
I’m usually one of those guys who needs more meat on the bone, but something really works for me with these two tracks. I’ll explore further. Thanks, Trig!
April 13, 2018 @ 10:10 pm
There’s a fine line between folk and acoustic country.
Its a beautiful sound with the tightness and professionalism of country meeting the folk relaxation and feeling of freedom. I like it a lot
April 13, 2018 @ 11:04 pm
Blake Berglund’s album Realms is also a not to be missed recent release. The usual favorites of Whitey, Cody, and Boland (who I love) are going to have to work real hard to earn the title of better written songs front to back over Berglund for the late 2017 / 2018 cycle. Not sure why he has been ignored here, but check him out. His song “crooked old earth” will go down as the wittiest / best song of the year. Great YouTube video too.
April 13, 2018 @ 11:14 pm
For the record, nobody is ever “ignored.” That implies that people are being purposefully excluded from coverage when that couldn’t me farther from the case. With the amount of albums being released and being only a one-man operation, it’s impossible for me to cover everything. It also shouldn’t be implied that just because I don’t cover something, I don’t like it or don’t think it’s worthy. Sometimes I just don’t have the words to say about it. And reviewing something should never be taken as a slight on something else I didn’t review.
I met Blake Berglund at AmericanaFest last September in Nashville, and we had a good conversation. I never rule out covering any artist.
April 13, 2018 @ 11:30 pm
Totally understood that you can’t do a full on review on everything trigg. Sorry for implying that you are dropping the ball by not giving him time, but his album is a lesson in song craft and I just wanted to get the name out there on this forum. Isn’t sharing new ideas a good part of what these comment sections are for?
He doesn’t have the polished made for American Idol vocals of a Stapleton, or the “look how outlaw I am” posture of a Whitey Morgan, but damn can he write a story of a song on par with Prine and Childers. And that deserves endless praise. He is also a multi generation Canadian cowboy, for all of those folks who care about that sort of thing.
April 16, 2018 @ 9:40 am
I never do this…but have you heard of Jade Bird?
She opened for Colter last night, and arguably stole the show.
She’s only released an EP and a single so far, but she’s scary talented, with a great voice, combining of a solid grounding in country/blues sounds with smart pop songwriting…and she won’t reach our drinking age for another 6 months!
Legitimately the best opening act I’ve seen since William Clark Green filled in at a Randy Rogers show.
April 14, 2018 @ 2:40 am
How cool is it that a man sitting at his keyboard in Texas can turn this Canadian boy onto some sweet music that is being made in my own backyard. Some days I really hate all this technology that has permeated my life, but today isn’t one of them. Thanks Trigger.
April 14, 2018 @ 7:45 am
Thanks for reading Dan.
April 14, 2018 @ 3:14 am
Hope this gets an spotify release!
April 14, 2018 @ 5:28 am
They’re better than what I’ve seen/heard featured here previously.
April 14, 2018 @ 5:48 am
Good stuff, thanks for posting it. Although in Montreal now, they originated from the country music strongholds of Antigonish, Cheticamp, Wetaskiwin, Okaganan Valley, Ottawa Valley and Moncton.
April 14, 2018 @ 6:46 am
“Lighten up Diane” is just unreal, what a nice find…
April 14, 2018 @ 7:47 am
A lot of excellent insight in the songwriting here. “Lighten Up Diane” also really impressed me.
April 14, 2018 @ 7:15 am
Really enjoying this one. Real. Simple. Beautiful.
April 14, 2018 @ 10:05 am
Yea I also enjoyed those two tracks. Very easy to listen to. Good find.
I tried youtubing El Coyote but only got Mexican ranchero music. I obviously missed the “(currently not available on other formats, stay tuned)” part .
April 14, 2018 @ 12:38 pm
Hey Whiskey Pete!
We’re in the middle of wrapping up some live video footage of us playing, hence why you can’t find any videos of us. Should be done real soon. Thanks for checking us out!
April 14, 2018 @ 10:24 am
Wonderful rootsy-sounding music with lots of trad elements ,superb vocals and that elusive ‘vibe’ most mainstream radio music is bereft of. I could listen to this all day long …..
Montreal ? wow ….
” see Nashville ….they GET it in Australia , in Finland , In Sweden and even in Montreal . Everywhere but Nashville apparently. I didn’t even notice that Bebe Rexa wasn’t on this record “
April 14, 2018 @ 12:50 pm
We just wanted to thank everyone for taking the time to listen and for leaving such kind comments! They certainly made our day! Xx El Coyote
April 14, 2018 @ 2:41 pm
best of luck to El Coyote …..thanks for ‘keeping it real ‘…that’s becoming a lost art on mainstream radio
April 15, 2018 @ 4:49 pm
Get your ass on Google Music/Spotify! Excellent music
April 14, 2018 @ 4:22 pm
I can dig it
From New Zealand
April 14, 2018 @ 6:14 pm
This is so good! The whole album has an easy Saturday afternoon feel to it. What that means I have no idea but I really enjoy listening to it on Saturday afternoons haha. Looking forward to seeing them in Alabama one day.