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The SteelDrivers: The SteelDrivers
Release Date: Jan. 22, 2008
I was curious about this CD. I had heard good things about it and
had seen it on the charts; but I was, at the same time, a little nervous
about having to sit through an entire bluegrass album, especially one by a
group of seasoned pros from a music factory like Nashville. Don’t
get me wrong- I love the fiddle and the cheery plunky- plunk of a banjo,
but high speed traditional bluegrass doesn’t seem to leave enough time for
me to appreciate the notes.
My fears were unwarranted. This self-titled debut album by The
SteelDrivers is quite possibly the best thing to hit my CD player this
year. It isn’t so much bluegrass as it is “blues-grass”… or
“roots-grass.” It’s more like bluegrass with an edge, but not so far
from its high lonesome roots as to call it “alt.- grass.”
“Blue Side of the Mountain” was the perfect song to start this CD.
It sets the stage well and made me want to hear more. Chris
Stapleton’s voice is soulful with a touch of grit and weariness that draws
you in. Most of the songs were co-written by Stapleton and Mike
Henderson (mandolin, harmony vocals). The lyrics are solid and
refreshingly simple yet paint their vivid pictures in detail. These
songs lean towards the dark side, with more loss than redemption, more
sorrow than sun, but perfectly balanced by a delivery that is honest and
unapologetic.
Backing vocals by Tammy Rogers (fiddle) have a comfortable "back
porchiness" that reminds me of Carrie Rodriguez. Producer Luke
Wooten wasn’t shy about the banjo in this mix, and thankfully so. I
appreciated every note. This album was mostly recorded live in the
studio with a no frills production, which puts the CD that much closer to
a live performance. As you can imagine from a bunch of successful
session players, instrumentation was impeccable, but with heart.
Somehow, I think these musicians were very happy to be playing their own
stuff. Interesting arrangements and refreshing chord progressions
were a bonus. I was a bit afraid of sameness when I came into this
CD, but this was not the case. Tempos are mixed well and when you
come to the end of the disc, you’ll want to hear it again. I
generally like to mention stand out tracks, but in this case, there were
only two that didn’t stand out… and that just might change on listen
number 3 or 4.
For more information or to buy their CD, visit
http://www.steeldrivers.net
Written by J. Villarico, March 2008
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