Sometimes in the course of doing a music site you end up writing about bands that you don’t know shit about outside of them having an album you really dig. Such is the case with Abalone Dots. I took their newest cd, Traveler, out of my box of cds that I am trying to find time to listen to, tossed it into the cd player and started doing dishes (no, I do not have a dishwasher). Now I am sitting here at the laptop with hands that are still damp, writing about some band from Sweden with an album that I am absolutely in love with.

Abalone Dots is an all-girl string band consisting of; Elin Mörk (fiddle and vocals), Sophia Hogman (mandolin, cello, keyharp and vocals), Rebecka Hjukström (guitar, banjo, dobro and vocals) and Louise Holmer (bass, piano and vocals) from Västervik, Swede. The album opens with possibly its strongest track, “Craighead County Sky”, but barely takes a step back from there. Featuring the classic sounds you’d expect from an Americana string quartet and 4 part vocal harmonies, I’d suggest you give these gals a chance to fill that hole that the breakup of Nickle Creek left in your musical future.

Abalone Dots – Craighead County Sky
Abalone Dots – Ballad of Lee McKay
Abalone Dots – Over Georgia

Abalone Dots on myspace, Buy Traveler