Sarah White
Sweetheart
Self-released
4 stars (out of 5)
Charlottesville’s Sarah White has something that guarantees, even on a five-song EP, a satisfying listen: a strong voice that doesn’t sound like anyone else. And contrary to the name of the title track “Sweetheart,” White’s voice isn’t sugary at all, but open and pain-filled.
On “Ply Me” that voice is sly [...]
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John Sebastian & David Grisman
Satisfied
Acoustic Disc
3.5 stars (out of 5)
Satisfied is a perfect soundtrack for the lazy days of summer – or for imagining what “lazy days” might be like while gazing longingly out of the window of your urban office.
The album as a whole brings to mind a rowboat on the water, parasols, [...]
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The Seldom Scene
Different Roads
Rebel Records
5 stars (out of 5)
At first glance, Different Roads might seem a bit of a disappointment. The Seldom Scene recorded seven albums for Rebel Records, but this compilation pulls tracks from only three. Slip the CD into the player, though, and the disappointment vanishes in a cascade of guitar and mandolin.
The [...]
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John Hiatt
Same Old Man
New West Records
2 stars (out of 5)
If there’s any truth to the lyrics on his latest album, then John Hiatt is one conflicted guy. First, he’s celebrating a time when “I had nothing to live up to/Everywhere to be” (“Same Old Man”) and dismissing a loyal companion, saying “I woulda took her [...]
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Ann & Phil Case
The Old Step-Stone: A Collection of Old-Time Duets
Dry Run Recordings
4 stars (out of 5)
The Old Step-Stone is the fourth full-length recorded example why Southwest Ohio’s Ann & Phil Case are one of the very best old-time duos working today.
Ann plays a 1929 Martin 0-21 guitar and a handmade 1903 Audinot copy fiddle; [...]
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Bearfoot
Follow Me
Glacier Records
4 stars (out of 5)
When Back Home was released five years ago, this Alaskan quintet was known as Bearfoot Bluegrass, precocious youngsters performing bluegrass at band camps and festivals.
While youthful, the group has maintained a consistent lineup while spreading across the continent in pursuit of higher education and life experience. Follow Me is [...]
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Gary Louris
Vagabonds
Rykodisc
3.5 stars (out of 5)
Apparently, 20 years with the Jayhawks affords one ample cause for serious self-examination. On his solo debut, guitarist Gary Louris soul searches on ten abstractions connected by evocative imagery and producer Chris Robinson’s well-orchestrated arrangements.
Vagabonds begins with Louris finding spiritual rebirth in “True Blue” and freedom in “Omaha Nights.” “To [...]
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Crooked Still
Still Crooked
Signature Sounds
4.5 stars (out of 5)
From the opening seconds of Ola Belle Reed’s timeless “Undone in Sorrow,” listeners sense they are in for a treat with Crooked Still’s third album. The promise is fulfilled in each of the album’s 44 minutes.
Crooked Still’s story is well known. As part of the emerging young [...]
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Casey Driessen
3D
Sugar Hill Records
4.5 stars (out of 5)
Upon entering Casey Driessen’s 3D into iTunes, the word Unclassifiable appears in the application’s Genre column. Coincidence or not, this debut solo project from one of today’s most promising young fiddlers is certainly beyond category. After what sounds like a storm siren—perhaps a beacon to listeners that this [...]
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The Band of Heathens
The Band of Heathens
BOH Records
3 stars (out of 5)
The Band of Heathens was born at the legendary Momo’s in Austin, where its singers and songwriters Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi, and Gordy Quist transformed their regular co-billings into on-stage collaborations. The Heathens quickly became heroes in the local club scene and started racking [...]
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