Washington Squares
Fair and Square (Gold Castle) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Since releasing their self-titled debut album in 1987, the Washington Squares have established themselves-for better or worse-as a latter-day Peter, Paul & Mary, serving up what might be called ”folk lite” with a twist of `80s attitude. While plenty of people find it difficult to get past the trio`s arty folk-beatnik pose (complete with sunglasses, black berets and acoustic guitars), the harmonies are appealing and their choice of traditional material frequently first-rate. With their second effort, ”Fair and Square,” Squares Lauren Agnelli, Tom Goodkind and Bruce Jay Paskow have not only avoided the sophomore slump, they`ve come up with a better album, deftly mixing originals such as Paskow`s poignant tribute to hipster ”Neal Cassady” with engaging folk-rock versions of Leonard Cohen`s ”Everybody Knows” and Hamilton Camp`s ”The Pride of Man,” and a smoothly earnest reading of the traditional ballad ”My True Love and I.”
