“Funnel Cloud” by Hem

Hem
Funnel Cloud
Nettwerk America
4 Stars (out of 5)

Hem originated when three Brooklyn songwriters solicited The Village Voice readership for someone to sing their songs. After the ad apparently had failed miserably, they received a homemade cassette containing Sally Ellyson’s pristine vocals, and immediately began selling off possessions to fund 2001’s Rabbit Songs.

And for good reason. Hem’s fourth release – Funnel Cloud – finds Ellyson gracefully negotiating every emotional peak and valley without being overly emotional. She glides across the wispy title track and the ethereal “Great Houses of New York,” and crests the outbursts on “Not California” and “The Pills Stopped Working.” Her dexterity throughout defies her background as a television producer with no formal vocal training.

Yet, Ellyson’s elegance accounts for only some of the magic on Funnel Cloud. Now a 9-piece, Hem delivers masterfully-crafted arrangements ranging from dreamy ballads to full-fledged orchestrations. While piano, strings, and percussion predominate, pedal steel, mandolin, and glockenspiel augment the elaborate soundscapes over which swirling crescendos often yield to wistful trailers.

Given the tornado’s unpredictable path, Hem offers the possibility of escaping the bleak “Hotel Fire” with the hopeful “I’ll Dream of You Tonight.” Touchdown is imminent however, and one thing’s for certain: Funnel Cloud will blow you away.

by Tim Walsh

“Life in a Song” by New Found Road

New Found Road
Life in a Song
Rounder Records
3 Stars (out of 5)

Life in a Song is the Rounder debut and fourth release from New Found Road – a southwestern Ohio quartet that was originally an exclusively sacred music ensemble. The secular shift serves the band well on this crisp collection of contemporary bluegrass.

New Found Road more than capably covers the bluegrass bases: from the exhilarating kickoff “Cold Blue Day” to the soul stirring gospel a cappella “When I Get Home.” “No Clue” is a driving original instrumental. Its title certainly has nothing to do with the musical prowess of Rob Baker (mandolin), Randy Barnes (bass), Tim Shelton (guitar), and Jr. Williams (banjo).

The surprises start with “Douglas Graves” – a killin’ song with a twist – and proceed to grassed-up versions of the Freddy Fender hit “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and Ray Charles’ “Leave My Woman Alone.” The stunner is the closing cover of David Paich’s “Houston (I’m Coming to See You).”

A couple of country crossovers come off a tad too sentimental alongside Baker’s title track and Shelton’s “I Miss You.” The upshot is simply that songwriting is yet another weapon with potential in the band’s arsenal. The conclusion is Life in a Song should yield New Found Road a new found following.

by Tim Walsh

“The Skylighters” by The Skylighters

The Skylighters
The Skylighters
Red Beet Records
4 Stars (out of 5)

The Skylighters might not be a familiar name, but some familiar names comprise the quintet: bluegrass stalwarts Mike Auldridge and Jimmy Gaudreau and three members of Nashville’s Last Train Home: Eric Brace, Jim Gray, and Martin Lynds. Their self-titled studio release captures the magic of their infrequent on-stage get-togethers.

Oddly enough, the album’s lone original – Brace’s “See What Love Can Do” – sets the tone, with Brace backed by Auldridge’s (resophonic guitar) and Gaudreau’s (mandolin) bluegrass breaks while bassist Gray and percussionist Lynds keep time. From there, it’s as if The Skylighters is an in-house all-request hour; as the collective culls bluegrass, country, folk, gospel, honky-tonk, and swing gems into a cohesive collection of terrific music.

Selections span four Louvin Brothers classics, Eric Anderson’s “Close the Door Lightly,” Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart’s “Bonaparte’s Retreat,” and Avril Gearheart and Ralph Stanley’s “Going Up Home to Live in Green Pastures.” The mix also affords less common configurations. Auldridge’s pedal steel transforms Norman Blake’s “Last Train from Poor Valley” and Jim Croce’s “Maybe Tomorrow” into classic country weepers. Gaudreau sings lead on five tracks and plays electric guitar on “Dear One.”

The driving force behind this music is the music itself. Fancy licks are few; these tremendously talented musicians simply are playing songs they love with passion and sincerity. Consequently, the Skylighters have whipped up a winner!

by Tim Walsh

“Let the Ride Begin” by The Circuit Riders

The Circuit Riders
Let the Ride Begin
Pinecastle Records
2.5 Stars (out of 5)

The album title denotes a debut, while the band name reveals veteran familiarity with the road. Indeed, Let the Ride Begin is the inaugural effort from journeyman Greg Luck and four former Country Gentlemen.

Much like the Gents, the Circuit Riders’ material casts a wide net, with originals, collaborations, and covers culled from past affiliations (Acoustic Syndicate and the Bass Mountain Boys) and beyond. Standout originals include Luck’s leadoff chiller “Lonesome Wind” and Jaret Carter’s emotive instrumental “Pickett’s Charge.” The quintet hits the mark on Earl’s “Foggy Mountain Special,” but it misfires on a gassed-up, grassed-up version of Neil Young’s “Powderfinger.”

Nevertheless, the latter sparks more intrigue than fallbacks like mama, a house that isn’t a home, and a former farmer and his farm. However, Greg Corbett’s beautiful banjo, Darin Aldridge’s’ nimble mandolin, and Billy Gee’s bass work are more than enough to take them back to “Old Kentucky,” and Charlie Waller surely is smiling over the harmonies on “In the Master’s Glory.”

Sounding more like a kickoff than a closer, the driving “Cold Wind” indicates in no uncertain terms the launch of this talented collective. The Circuit Riders certainly are capable of separating themselves from the pack, but whether they’ll do so remains to be seen.

by Tim Walsh

“I Declare” by Heidi Clare

Heidi Clare
I Declare
Self-released
4 Stars (out of 5)

Heidi Clare Lambert is the former Heidi Andrade and the former fiddler of the former Reeltime Travelers. There’s nothing “former” about her fiddling, however. It’s in tip-top form on her debut solo release.

I Declare showcases the virtuosity that frequently kept Reeltime Travelers fans focusing stage left. Heidi Clare dazzles with speed and precision on “Rye Straw” and “Shortnin’ Bread” and soul on the solemn “Three Forks of Cheat.” She maintains her “groove” on two originals – the ebullient “Chelle’s Dance” and the sweet and mournful “Farewell to Thurber.”

What we rarely heard with the Travelers was Heidi Clare’s organic vocals. Four tracks find her channeling ballad and blues singers past, particularly on stirring versions of “Oil in My Vessel” and “Old Corn Liquor.” Her singing reveals a dimension that should aid her transition to center stage.

Will that transition transpire? The album’s stellar backers – Chris Sharp, Ed
Snodderly, former fellow Reeltime Travelers Roy Andrade and Brandon Story, and Dry Branch Fire Squad’s Ron Thomason – have their own careers. I Declare is a lovely collection. Hopefully, it’s also a declaration of a new beginning for a terrific yet still largely untapped talent.

by Tim Walsh

“Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain” by Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain

Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain

Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain

Rural Rhythm RHY-1028

3 Stars (out of 5)

 

Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain’s Rain and Shine (2004) bore the promise of a regional band ready for a national stage. The band’s sophomore, self-titled release delivers on that promise, but which stage remains a question.
 

Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain is crisp contemporary bluegrass and country that often finds Hassler heading for or from a heartache. Her gentle lead maintains conviction from the urgent opener “Restless State of Mind” to the hopeful single “Seven Miles to Wichita” and the farewell “Leaving You Behind.” By the time “Hard Rain” falls, it’s unclear where Hassler’s bound, but one’s compelled to strap in and find out.

 
Safety belts are almost needed to harness Hard Rain’s (the band’s) high energy and hot licks. Young guns Travis Anderson (bass), Keith McKinnon (guitar), Kevin McKinnon (mandolin), Josh Miller (banjo), and Josh Swift (Dobro) are fueled by producer/fiddler Jim Van Cleve and Mountain Heart mates Clay Jones and Adam Steffey. Before it charges through “Sensabaugh Tunnel” the musical locomotive almost overwhelms Hassler on “Leaving on the Next Train,” but the eleven tracks avoid any derailments.

 
Excellent versions of “Our Last Goodbye” and “Leavin’ on Your Mind” balance bluegrass and country with a contemporary edge. The blistering “Business is Good” punctuates preference for the bluegrass circuit, but “Now That She’s Gone” makes its way towards Music Row. Time will tell, but whether it’s bluegrass or country, Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain have the talent to succeed. 

 

by Tim Walsh

“Hillbilly Hemingway” by The Mark Newton Band

The Mark Newton Band

Hillbilly Hemingway

Rebel Records

2.5 Stars (out of 5)

The IBMA 2001 Recorded Event of the Year award (for Follow Me Back to the Fold) and stints in Knoxville Grass and the Virginia Squires highlight Mark Newton’s bluegrass career. Hillbilly Hemingway is his first release since relocating to Nashville, where he could “learn and grow artistically while tapping into the pulse of the music business.” Uh oh.

Hillbilly Hemingway features well-executed, country-tinged bluegrass under the auspices of legendary singer, songwriter, and producer Carl Jackson. Between Newton, his underrated band – Andy Ball (mandolin), Clay Hess (guitar), Beth Lawrence (bass), and John Wheat (banjo) – and all-star guests – Rob Ickes and Randy Kohrs (resophonic guitars), Alecia Nugent (vocals), Tony Creasman (percussion) and Stuart Duncan (fiddle) – there’s no shortage of instrumental precision and vocal blend.

Still something doesn’t quite jibe. From the title Hank tribute to the juiced-up intro on Julie Lee’s “Stillhouse Road” and nostalgic numbers about small towns, dirt roads, first loves, and “Home Folks,” hook after hook transform the collection into a fishing expedition. Confirmation comes on the closer “Jesse and Me,” which contains the lines: “Our goal is a lyric on the lips of the world. Number one with a bullet will do.”

This album would stand tall on Music Row. However, it loses traction on the Lonesome Road.

by Tim Walsh

“Lonesome Pine” by Blue Highway

Blue Highway

Lonesome Pine

Rebel REB-CD-7512

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

 

Blue Highway burst onto the scene in 1995 and solidified its rightful place among the bluegrass elite with a trifecta of terrific Rebel releases – It’s a Long, Long Road (1995), Wind to the West (1996), and Midnight Storm (1998). Lonesome Pine compiles thirteen tracks from that trilogy.

 

Compiling a Blue Highway collection is a double-edged proposition. Lonesome Pine certainly showcases the vocal versatility of lead singers Shawn Lane, Wayne Taylor, and Tim Stafford, and the musical virtuosity of Rob Ickes (Dobro), Stafford (guitar), and Jason Burleson (banjo). Plus, one can’t go wrong with classics “In the Gravel Yard,” “Someday,” and “Two Coats.”

 

On the other hand, the source albums comprise 37 solid selections. Do the math, and Lonesome Pine can’t avoid coming up short. It leaves out “God Moves in a Windstorm,” “Wind to the West,” and “Find Me Out on a Mountain Top” (among others). Thus, for the Blue Highway aficionado, this collection is simply an enjoyable mix CD.

 

However, the absence of any previously unreleased material and the budget price indicate a sampler intended for the Blue Highway and/or bluegrass neophyte. In that regard, Lonesome Pine is hard to beat. Still, if the cash is available, proceed directly to It’s a Long, Long Road, Wind to the West, and Midnight Storm. They’re still in-print.

by Tim Walsh

“Instrumentals” by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

Instrumentals

Skaggs Family

4 Stars (out of 5)

Instrumentals was released a few weeks before Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder earned its eighth International Bluegrass Music Association Instrumental Group of the Year award. So, while an all-instrumental collection comes as no surprise, anyone expecting classic barnburners like “Get Up John” (Bluegrass Rules, 1997) is in for quite a shock.

Skaggs’ album title isn’t exactly imaginative, but his eleven originals exhibit staggering creativity across elaborate soundscapes of bluegrass, newgrass, old-time, Celtic, classical, and jazz. He and Kentucky Thunder – Mark Fain (bass), Cody Kilby (guitar), Andy Leftwich (fiddle) and Jim Mills (banjo) –flawlessly glide “Wayward to Hayward” with a little “Spam Jelly” on their way to “Polk City.” Newgrassers “Missing Vassar” and “Dawg’s Breath” pay respective tributes to Vassar Clements and David Grisman. “Gallatin Rag” introduces a little Dixieland with Andy Statman on clarinet.

Despite past collaborations with the Chieftains and the clear ties between bluegrass and Irish music, the prevalence of Celtic tones on Instrumentals is still somewhat, but pleasantly, surprising. Jeff Taylor (accordion, pennywhistle) accompanies Kentucky Thunder on “Going to Richmond,” “Crossville,” and “Goin’ to the Ceili.” The album’s centerpiece is the 7-minute opus “Crossing the Briney” – with full orchestration courtesy of the Nashville Sound Machine.

Is the eclecticism a subtle rebuff for being recognized almost exclusively as an instrumental bluegrass band, or are incredibly talented musicians simply enjoying the freedom of artistic expression? Regardless, of all the grassers-gone-country and back again, Ricky Skaggs’ return is arguably the most sustained and sincere. The bluegrass section is where one will find Instrumentals (if one can find a record store these days). At home, consider filing the disc under “E” for “Exquisite.”

by Tim Walsh

“Follow Me Down” by The Lonesome Sisters with Rayna Gellert

The Lonesome Sisters with Rayna Gellert

Follow Me Down

Tin Halo Music THMCD-0605

4.5 Stars (out of 5)

The Lonesome Sisters – Sarah Hawker and Debra Clifford – live in the Catskills, but their sound emanates from southern Appalachia. On its third release, the duo teams with fiddler Rayna Gellert (from the band Uncle Earl) on a superb set of primitive ballads and old-time music.

Follow Me Down features mostly originals with a seamless smattering of traditionals. These award-winning songwriters take time-honored themes love and death, and craft tunes that seem older than the hills. From the despair of a dying daughter’s departure in “Babylon” to the comfort of salvation in “When the Angels Call My Name,” the Lonesome Sisters masterfully balance heartbreak and hope and illuminate the fine line between joy and pain.

Brilliant, understated arrangements range from the a cappella “Darlin’ Don’t You Know That’s Wrong” to the three-piece title track. Simple guitar strums and gentle harmonies often underlie lyrical landslides like, “It’s better to be alone than to be lonely.” Gellert’s soulful fiddle goes across the mountain and paces the reflective instrumental closer.

It only takes a few seconds of the beautiful “Blackbird” to embrace the Lonesome Sisters’ charm, but it takes nearly 65 minutes to follow them down this 17-track tour de force. It’s a journey of abundant musical and spiritual rewards.

by Tim Walsh