Echoes of the Mountains
, the first collection of new music from
bluegrass
,
old-timey
, and
Southern gospel
stalwarts
Dry Branch Fire Squad
since 2001's
Hand Hewn
, is as simple as the sky is blue, laying out 14 ballads, breakdowns, and tall tales that are as rustic, unfussy, and direct as the genres that cradle them. Founder, lead singer, and mandolin player
Ron Thomason
(the only constant since the band's inception in 1976) may lack the high and lonesome crooning abilities of other
singers, but his slightly off-key,
Waylon Jennings-ish
baritone adds considerable emotional weight to every track, be it rowdy and bold (
"Dixie Cowboy"
) or downright heartbreaking (
"Echo Mountain"
) -- the latter will reduce anyone who ever loved a dog to a puddle of tears. This latest incarnation of the band, which also includes
Brian Aldridge
(guitar, mandolin, and vocals),
Dan Russell
(bass and guitar), and
Tom Boyd
(banjo, Dobro, and vocals), is as capable and tight as ever, trading licks on standout cuts like
"Grayson's Train"
and
"Rovin' Gambler"
and harmonizing like 30-year veterans on the
gospel
nuggets
"(You Got to Pray to the Lord) When You See Those Flying Saucers"
"Power in the Blood,"
resulting in a batch of songs that ranks high amidst a career of highlights. ~ James Christopher Monger