Just before his star exploded as a result of his amazing lead vocal on the hit version of
"I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,"
which appeared on the soundtrack to
the Coen Brothers
' Great Depression farce
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
,
Dan Tyminski
recorded his brief but fantastic debut solo album,
Carry Me Across the Mountain
, while on sabbatical from
Union Station
. He gets the expected help from
alumni past and present (
Alison Krauss
Adam Steffey
Ron Block
, and
Barry Bales
), and also gathers together some of his other favorite players and influences, who just happen to be prominent members of the
bluegrass
elite (
Jerry Douglas
Tony Rice
, etc.). It is
Tyminski
's gorgeous, graceful, toasty lead vocals, though, that carry the day. As opposed to his full-time combo's more irreverent, progressive take on the genre,
explores more traditional
territory (
ballads
, mountain songs,
spirituals
, instrumentals), but through mostly original material, closer to his previous unit,
the Lonesome River Band
. He chimes in with a trio of his own co-written tunes while offering spotlight contributions from
Block
(
"Be Assured"
) and former
member
Tim Stafford
. And although each song is a highlight, the title track is perhaps the most exciting performance and lays the blueprint for
's
O Brother
contribution. The crack band also whips through a couple old
country
"I Dreamed of an Old Love Affair,"
"Sunny Side of the Mountain"
) and
the Louvin Brothers
'
"Tiny Broken Heart"
) classics with exhilarating, down-homey results. The mood is both elegantly unembellished and joyous, a throwback but wholly pristine and fresh. It is a superb addition to the already strong discographies of both
and
, and a lovely little first effort as leader for
. ~ Stanton Swihart