Ruby Ross of Charlottesville and Patrick Cooper of Shreveport make up the singer/songwriter duo Crossing Canal. They interpret their original tunes with gentle vocal harmonies and accompany themselves with lightly strummed acoustic guitars. Their songs float along like on an Appalachian breeze, never over-exerting themselves. Lowdown Runaround Fool is the duo’s debut EP. The opening song, “Chase Me,” is one young lover’s request to another to speed up their courtship. “Pretty Little Bird” describes a picket-fence town with fireflies and bare feet and the desire to fly away. “Jacket Sleeve” is a feisty song about a cheating lover. Even though the song’s a bit more heated than the rest, the duo never stray far from that core of gentleness. Patrick Cooper sings “Things We Can’t Control,” which is about accepting what you can’t control and hoping for the best—a kind of optimistic pacifist’s anthem. “Crescent (Nola Bound Again)” has a touch of Joni Mitchell to it, except California is forsaken for New Orleans. “You Won’t Be Seeing Me Around Anymore” is a goodbye song in the Dylan vein. It’s only six songs, but the brevity kind of adds to the charm. It’s front porch music, meant to please and soothe.