The press release from Broken Jukebox Media about this new album hit my inbox near the end of June and I was unfortunately a little too busy to jump on it right away.  What a revelation the songs on this album turned out to be as I listened to them over the past week.  This is definitely not a one-trick pony bluegrass band as they cover a range from folk & county to Americana & yes, bluegrass…and there is even a song that is distinctly Celtic in style and tone.  Let’s start with that gem.

“Silver Maple Spinners” begins on rippling tribal strings and a dark rhythm that weaves along throughout the song, set off by a slightly breathless vocal.  It left me with a sense of tension, or maybe anticipation of something…unknown.  Another stand-out for me is “Angeline” which has all the great interplay of stringed instruments you expect from country-tinged bluegrass.  The mandolin and fiddle on this track are really exceptional.  You can get a nice change of pace on “Afterwards, on the Greyhound” which has a smooth melody and atmospheric vibe as the lyrics bring you along with a motley cast of lonely characters.  The chorus line, “Did you even know that I was leaving you,” is more thought provoking than you think at first listen…quite haunting actually.   

Overall this is a great set of ten songs that keep you interested and engaged, set a range of moods and vibes, have great musicianship and definitely deserves your time.   You can check it out on your usual streaming places of course (one link below) and I believe that hard copies may soon be available.  

You can stay up-to-date with the band (and maybe those hard copies) at 

http://www.fromthedirtband.com

If you go out and give this album or any of the tracks a listen…think about purchasing some or all if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

And support your locals – community is powerful!