AMG Review of Distillation

Tom Schulte
All Music Guide

Distillation is an excellent name for this album. Rather than being of derivative of roots music, bluegrass, country blues, and folk, McKeown distills these genres. She melted down these styles, incorporated the spirit of them, and came up with her own voice. All but one track here is original. They reach back into remote, rustic regions for sounds and ideas. McKeown is a mirror that reflects it all in new form. The Virginia native comes up with a sound that is part gypsy jazz, part blues, part folk-pop. The one cover is an excellent rendition of a Tin Pin Alley classic, "Mustn't Kick It Around."