Like a rainbow...the new album from Carlsonics guitar player's Donny Hue & the Colors

Donny Hue & the Colors
Folkmote
(Kora)
US release date: 28 August 2007
UK release date: Available as import
by Jennifer Kelly

Skewed psych pop ...with autoharp!

Folkmote is a hodgepodge, joyfully diverse, but connective threads elusive, as it winds through caffeinated piano-banging pop ("Real Long Time"), tambourine jangling, Elephant 6-ish head-trips ("Humming with the Flowerbirds"), Panda Bear-like wordless reveries ("For the Last Time Beatrice, It's Toast"), and even a straight up, four-thudding rock song ("Peter and his Puzzle"). Maybe that's to be expected, since it collects a loosely organized group of Washington-area musicians into one-off collaborations and casual cameo appearances. Donny Hue -- or Ed Donahue to his mom -- is the common link. The one-time keyboardist for delicate Meredith Bragg and the Terminals and ex-guitarist for hard-rocking Carlsonics is, perhaps, all over the map, but in an endearing way. Every song is a surprise, but a pleasant one. He brings it all together in wonderful "Mountain Piece" twinkling pianos and fragile pop melodies gradually thickened with rustic guitar and back-rocking drums. It builds momentum, turns almost into a rock song, then dissolves into psychedelic ribbons of dreamy singing. So many kinds of music, so little time... Donny Hue paints with the brightest sorts of colors.

Couple of MP3s
"Real Long Time"
http://www.thekorarecords.com/mp3/reallongtime.mp3

"Humming with the Flowerbirds"
http://www.thekorarecords.com/mp3/hue_humming.mp3