Little Miss Higgins & The Winnipeg Five

This collaboration between Higgins and what in reality are popular Manitoba acoustic outfit the F-Holes, is tailor-made. Both share a reverence for early 20th century vintage sounds and do a fine job recreating the liveliness of that era. Working within this new arrangement allows Higgins to shine; she struts her stuff with plenty of sass throughout, showing off impressive vocal chops, given the unadorned recording approach. As the album's title implies, the setting played an important role, most often conveying the sense of an intimate jam session or, more accurately, a pre-war radio show. There's charm to spare on tracks like "Chateau Poulet" and "I Was At An Auction," as well as heart-tugging nostalgia on "Barns You Used To Dance In" and "Restless Heart." However, while there's nothing to fault on Bison Ranch Recording Sessions, the urge to jump ahead a few decades in the time machine will eventually take hold of those not part of the suspenders-and-spats set.