Haunting harmonies and heartbreaking lyrics mark the North Carolina landscape of Polecat Creek’s Leaving Eden. The second album by the latter-day southern songwriting team of Kari Sickenberger and Laurelyn Dossett, Leaving Eden features the mountain tones of Riley Baugus (of the Cold Mountain soundtrack) on clawhammer banjo and fiddle. Produced by traditional music veteran Dirk Powell. “Thoughtful songs with beautiful harmonies and melancholy fiddle work, now that's real music by and for real people. Cowboy Junkies without the feedback and the clinical depression. Country without the whole Nascar vibe. Acoustic music without the wish-I-came-up-in-a-holler affectations. In a word, Genuine.” Ralph Kirschner “I remember the chills I had when I first heard Gillian Welch's music, I get that same feeling here, times two.” Bill Frater, Freight Train Boogie