The record begins with an original and energetic song called “Postage Due” which sets the tone for the whole record. The song draws inspiration from elements of the relationship Caity has with her Gran Hilary. The opening line “Did you remember to put on your loafers, you know the ones with the penny in the front” came out of a conversation the two had when Caity was showing off a new pair of loafers and Hilary asked if she was going to put a penny in the front of them to use for the payphone later. Having not really experienced using a payphone before, that comment prompted a discussion about the fashion of the 1950s and the use of payphones. The topic of sending mail was inspired by the many letters Caity received as a child, and still receives today from her Gran! “Postage Due” is upbeat, fun and features solos from Caity, Jocelyn and Jacob.

“East of The Sun” is a beautiful song written by Brooks Bowman. Starting off the tune is a melodic intro played by Thomas on the upright bass. Caity and Thomas continue to play the head of the tune as a duo with the whole band coming in at the start of Caity’s solo. This song also features incredible and tasteful solos from Jocelyn and Thomas. From beginning to end, the band continues to add energy throughout the song, providing a nice arc of intensity for the listener.

Following “East of the Sun” is a gorgeous arrangement of “I Can’t Get Started” written by Vernon Duke.  This walking ballad is emotive and sentimental, but still swinging. Caity sings the melody with beautiful, relaxed phrasing inspired by the melodic embellishments of some of the great horn players of this music. Jocelyn’s playing is showcased wonderfully on this tune, demonstrating her supportive approach, as well as her skill at playing on ballads. Thomas’ playing on this piece is full of jazz language and melodic lines, his in the pocket time feel ties the whole solo together beautifully.

“A Certain Someone” is a swinging original song written about the different kinds of people that you encounter in your day to day life. From the barista that you meet every couple weeks that makes you smile, to the life long friends that you make every couple years, to the love of your life that you meet once in a lifetime, this song is about how valuable those people are and how lucky we are to have them in our lives. From the tightly arranged opening melody to the straight ahead solo section, the entire band is truly cooking on this track. Caity’s ability to deliver a lyric with passion and authenticity is particularly evident on this song.

The quartet’s recording of “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” written by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh shows their comfort in a straight ahead swing context. The entire band plays supportively to each other, and the end result is a piece of music that is swinging from top to bottom and features solos from each member. The highlight of this piece is definitely the extended ending which features playful interplay between Caity and Jocelyn accompanied by energetic support from Thomas and Jacob.

Still raving from the excitement of “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love”, the album segues into a beautiful original ballad entitled “Undefined”. The song deals with a simple, yet universal concept that sometimes we truly don’t have the words to express how much we love something or somebody. From the warm, delicate rubato opening melody with voice and guitar, to the gently swinging accompaniment of the rest of the track, “Undefined” is lush and gorgeous from start to finish.

The album’s closing number “Bye Bye Blackbird” - written by Ray Henderson and Mort Dixon - features the band swinging hard in a medium-up tempo. The opening melody showcases Caity and Jacob in a swinging, interactive voice and drum duet. As the instruments layer in throughout the arrangement, the excitement builds as we go through an exceptional solos from the band before returning to the same duet format for the head out. The arrangement is simple yet fresh and energized and holds attention from start to finish.