Far too little attention gets paid to the lyrical aspects of music, especially the poetic in contrast to the outrageous. For calicoDrifters, however, it’s all about the emotion, the feel and the words. This collection seems to have a loose theme about it – going somewhere. Whether it’s the indecision portrayed in ‘Leading Me Home,’ the sadly gorgeous opener that showcases Prodell’s aching, self-harmonized vocals; the mischievous user running out in ‘My Heart’s in Pieces;’ or even the reflections on a wedding day in ‘Only One.’ There is an awful lot of uncertainty in the songs, some regret and, in the album closer ‘Between Us Now,’ some bitterness. But the sorrow hits home the hardest in the beautifully homesick ‘Turning Home,’ sung by Burns with harmonies by Prodell. Here the finger-picked guitars resonate sweetly with the poetry.

It’s interesting the way Burns is able to write without gender; you never know if it’s coming from the male or female perspective. The two sound great when singing together, though it’s Prodell doing the harmonizing, either with herself or with Burns when he’s taking the lead, but not the other way around.

The band is not without some humor however, as is the case in ‘I’ve Got a Man,’ the one instance in which gender does come into play. ‘We met one day outside his trailer / And he asked my name, I had to lie / Then he told me he was Norman Mailer / But his prose style didn’t match that guy’ is one of the best stanzas on the album although, to be fair, the album is full of great lyrics. It’s ultimately a tale of resignation, however as she sings, ‘I don’t fear the night or shrink from its shadow / And I don’t mind a little rain.’

‘Right Past the End’ is another highlight, the dissonance underscoring the finalization of love with another great line: ‘My heart was like a shipwreck / And yours the coast of Maine.’ Sad and haunting, Burns underscores the lonesome guitar with restrained bits of piano, accentuating the inventive chord progression.

There are jazzy moments as well, the lounge-y ‘Alone and Still in Love’ and the more dissonant ‘My Heart’s in Pieces.’ In this way they are able to demonstrate how similar lyrical lines can take on a completely different ambiance depending on the style in which they are presented.

‘Thirteen Crosses’ is a storytelling folk song that chronicles the Mann Gulch Tragedy of 1949, in which thirteen Forest Service firefighters died in a Montana blaze, an event that changed the way forest fires are fought. Although it’s a departure from the relationships expressed throughout the rest of Turning Home, it’s just as desperate and tragic. Nowhere does Burns indicate the historical nature of the subject matter, but one who listens closely will want to know more. This is perhaps the ultimate achievement for a writer; to know that his words are being heard and do indeed elicit a response, intellectual or emotional.

‘Right Past the End’ uses eerie minor chords to describe a relationship that carries on with post-mortem strangeness after its own demise. ‘Lead Me Home’ reveals an inexplicable incapacity to steer a relationship. The album satisfies as a bittersweet love letter that, despite its title, is never sure which turn leads home.

That’s not a failing, though. Burns and the Drifters’ considerably more countrified female singer, Sue Prodell, may be anything but gritty performers, but they manage to catch the subtleties of a troubled mind and the flickering warmth of a temporary love with real grace.

Thomas Burns and Sue Prodell combine extraordinary harmonies and strong, rich vocals to treat the listener to some truly awesome music. And his folk music has a boldness to it that mixes some jazz, blues and Americana. The stories they tell strike at the heart. Their heartfelt tales are relatable, thoughtful and thought-provoking. Those tunes play with your emotions sometimes with a cheery air and at other times with an essence that is touching and somber.

With only a few guitar tracks – sometimes acoustic, sometimes resophonic, and frequently both – and the vocal tandem of Thomas Burns and Sue Prodell, calicoDrifters deliver timeless tunes that flow with the ease of folk classics. Kevin McConeghey is the only guest, contributing lonesome harmonica on one track.

If Burns’ voice seems to possess a bit of a Southern drawl, you’d be right. Raised in Kentucky, Burns spent time on the East and West Coasts as well as Tennessee before relocating to Wisconsin a few years back. Prodell, a Fredonia, Wisconsin native, has been singing for some twenty years and it shows. Just listen to the beautiful phrasing on “My Prairie Home,” “On Clinton Street” and “How Do You Watch a Movin’ Train,” where her alto sneaks in barely noticed. She takes the lead on several songs as well. “Old Ragtop” is a minor-key, blues-infected tale of abandonment and features the only electric guitar on the album. “Siren Call” is a similar sea-widow’s lament.

“Cardboard Box” is even more morose: “Misfortune is my closest enemy,” Prodell sings in a voice completely unadorned, the full emotional effect coming straight from the gut. “If I would store happy memories in a brown cardboard box / I’d be left holding nothing but the dreams that I lost.” But nothing can eclipse the mournfully beautiful title track. Burns’ subtle chord voicings are perfectly matched to Prodell’s achingly melodic vocal and when she harmonizes with herself on the chorus it’s magical. The lyrics to “Dreams Are the Ponies We Ride” were co-authored by flow-poet Adam Gregory Pergament, former member of Stonefloat and the force behind the Chime Collective series at the Center for Creative and Cultural Arts. The pairing seems unlikely but the result is pure poetry.

The whole album is delivered in the same austere, no-frills fashion. The album was recorded at engine-engine Productions in Mt. Horeb but that could just as easily be Burns’ living room. That would be fitting, since the entire record has an aura of authenticity to it.

Burns composed the rest of the tracks on Dreams and assumes the lead on most of them. His voice is reminiscent in some ways of John Prine, a little bit of Dylan and maybe some Leon Redbone. He’s a versatile fingerpicker but it’s his choice of passing tones and the way he brings just a smidgeon of jazz to the proceedings that makes his playing so endearing.

I would highly recommend this recording to anyone who appreciates traditional folk styles and the pastoral form of Americana music.

What’s most impressive is the detailed songwriting: Here is the rare example of local country-influenced musicians writing original, fresh and authentic songs. “Don’t Come Down Here” is the tale of abandoned institutions and lost innocence with words that reach out and connect. The Calico Drifters are a welcome and promising new addition to Madison music.”