HAYWIRE: Las Oleada’s

Las Oleada’s is the sixth album release from the group Haywire, spotlighting original tunes from the singer/songwriter duo of Kathleen Beck and James Lydick. Both share lead vocal duties with Beck, adding cello, keyboards, bass, mandolin, and rhythm guitar and Lydick adding guitars, mandolin, bass, and accordion.

The project was recorded by Mike Kamoo at Earthling Studio in El Cajon, with additional musicians including Garrett Gross on trumpet with Jason LaRussa and Kamoo on percussion.

The opening track, “Serpentine,” rocks out with Beck’s powerful voice leading the way with Lydick’s vocal harmonies joining in on the chorus. What is notable throughout every track is the pitch-perfect vocal harmonies of Beck and Lydick at different tune junctures amid an eclectic range of musical styles.

Lydick takes the vocal reins on the gypsy-flavored tune “Tide,” along with a nifty harmonic minor scale guitar solo. The tide is quickly rising with no place left to stand…help your fellow passengers by reaching out your hand.

One can picture themselves sailing the high seas during the 6/8-time sea shanty-flavored tune “Baulderdash,” a full-throated vocal duet embellished by Beck’s mandolin motifs and Lydick’s accordion swells, followed by another lovely vocal duet, “Lay Your Head Down.” Let your mind take you away…why not take the other way.

The band lets its hair down on the foot-stomping honky tonk track “Wagon,” with Lydick’s lead vocal along with Beck’s background vocal call and responses reminiscent of the days of Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks, not to be outdone with Lydick and Beck’s vocal duet on the track “Starlings,” a two-stepping barn dance goodie fueled by Lydick’s mandolin riffing.

The tender ballad “I Cannot See You” puts Beck front and center with a vocal performance that Joan Baez would be proud of. When I find you, it will be in time.

If you were a fan of the Mamas & the Papas, you’ll like the joyous and optimistic track “The Path,” with Gross on trumpet adding dulcet tones to the mix, followed by Lydick’s lead vocal on the folk/rock track, “Fall.” If we all fall down we might not get up again…who will lend us a hand if we’re all on the ground?

The album concludes with a Pagan Teapot composition, “Gaze,” accompanied simply by acoustic guitar and haunting cello echoes behind Beck and Lydick’s mesmerizing vocal harmonies. Never quite arriving before we depart…never quite ending before we start, fitting words for an enjoyable and entertaining listen from start to finish.