Patty & Craig - Look To The Moon (2025)

This is the Wisconsin duo’s 3rd solo LP & though nothing is challenging, the opening tune is an optimistically textured folk-country production. “Love, Surround Me” finds Craig taking the lead, supported by a fiddle. It’s an uplifting tune. The vocals of the duo have the same warmth that was once apparent with The Rooftop Singers (“Walk Right In”) & that folk song charted.

There are 11 reasons to Look To The Moon (Drops Sept Independent) produced by David Vartanian, Craig Siemsen (acoustic guitar/acoustic leads/vocal) & Patty Stevenson (guitar/piano/vocal). “There’s a Shadow On the Snow Tonight” is a pleasing title with uplifting music, & excellent lead vocals by Craig with Patty. It’s not the type of duo singing that was Sonny & Cher, or Richard & Mimi Farina, but it adds a nice aura between vocals.

“Once in a Blue Moon,” despite its title cliché, finds Patty taking the lead, accompanied by her lovely piano. This is a stronger vocal duo effort. It’s a wonderful ballad with sincerity spilling from every note. The melody doesn’t come across as a folk tune but something that could’ve been knocked off by Gershwin, Cole Porter, or Hoagy Carmichael. It has that era’s charm running through the composition musically & lyrically.

The instrumentation & vocals have clarity throughout. The interplay between the players is quite good. Craig’s voice is somewhat reminiscent of folk singers like Richard Farina, Tom Jans, & a little bit of Eric Andersen. However, Craig sounds more like Brendan Perry of Dead Can Dance (“American Dreaming”) on “Blood Moon,” & this is compelling without being overly dramatic. Whereas “Bobby Can’t Bop” finds Craig trying to rock, but it sounds out of step with the theme of the album. Not for him, in my opinion. Nice try, though. Craig regains his vocal strength with “Agave Moon.”

“Night Full of Promise” is a bit more daring for Patty. Not quite an old school female folk vocal, but an aggressive, biting slice. If Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick were a folk singer, she’d sound like Patty. Even the phrasing is Slick. However, there’s a hint of Ruthann Friedman’s intonation (Ruthann wrote the Association ‘60s hit “Windy”). She was an obscure but good Laurel Canyon artist. I like this version of Patty. “You Are Not Alone” is also commendable. They make some vague commentary swipes in some songs, but hopefully, they’ll stay away from controversy & politics.