As 2016 draws to a close, this week we're recapping some of our favorite local singles of the year. Today's selection is "Eleanor" by local indie-folk outfit Cricket Blue.


The tune comes from the duo's 2016 album, Io, a follow-up to their lovely self-titled 2014 debut. A strong, gothic narrative thread runs through each song of the EP.  Perhaps nowhere is Taylor Smith and Laura Heaberlin's combined gift for storytelling felt more strongly than on this moving tale of loneliness.  Yeah, it's kind of a downer. But thanks to guest musician John Dunlop's swooning cello — and the duo's gorgeous vocal harmonies — the song has a stark, wintry beauty not unlike the work of Aussie folk duo Luluc.