CD review by Catriona Hamilton

If you’ve never heard of the Gothard Sisters before, then you’re about to be in for a treat! Their latest cd titled, “Story Girl” is wonderful. It opens with “The Sailor and the Mermaid”, an upbeat instrumental with an ethereal vocal by Solana. A tune penned by Greta and Willow Gothard that draws you in from the first musical note. In fact, there are seven originals on this disc and they are all quite good too. “Story Girl” features twelve tracks and marks their first recording with their own original material. In addition to originals, they scored their own arrangements on such traditional classics as “Raglan Road” and “Fields of Athenry.”

Who are these amazing sisters you ask? The band consists of three sisters named Greta, Willow and Solana Gothard. They hail from Edmonds, WA just north of Seattle and between the three of them they play a myriad of instruments such as:  violin, guitars, mandolin, bodhran, just to name a few…literally! Add vocals and Irish dance to the mix and you have yourself a well-rounded and talented group.

I really enjoy “Story Girl” and will definitely listen to this one over and over again. I highly recommend their latest cd to add to your Celtic music library. To check out their other cds, view their tour dates and learn more about the Gothard Sisters, please visit their website at: http://gothardsisters.weebly.com/index.html

Catriona Hamilton is a contributing writer for 67 Music.