FRONT COUNTRY – SAKE OF THE SOUND
2014 – Self Released
Sometimes I get the feeling, often when listening to bluegrass music, that the musicians are playing at breakneck speed simply to impress the listener by exhibiting their skills rather than letting the song live in its own world and tell it’s story or allowing the melody space to breath. Not so, Front Country! Certainly there is some incredible virtuoso playing by musicians steeped in various aspects of ‘American folk’ music that ensures rather than sticking to a tried and tested bluegrass format they play an almost different strain of music. This is not a jazz album but such are the skills in play that the recording almost takes on an improvisational feel, as if the players are trying to push themselves to their limits but the boundary keeps moving further and further away from them.
The six piece band consists of Adam Roszkiewicz on mandolin, Jacob Groopman, guitars and vocals, Melody Walker, vocals and guitar, Jordan Klein on banjo and vocals, Leif Karlstrom plays violin and Zach Sharpe, bass. Many will know of Melody Walker and Jacob Groopman from their high quality duo release of late 2013, ‘We Made It Home.’ Melody’s lead vocal dominates the album but not to the detriment of the virtuosic playing or harmonies. She is a vocalist who can master any genre with her ability to project a songs power rather than relying on any vocal histrionics, although I’m sure she is more than capable of doing so. She takes lead vocal on eight of the tracks, with two being excellent instrumentals that have an almost free form improvisational feel and Jacob Groopman, who is also an excellent vocalist takes the lead on two songs. The collective first formed in the San Francisco bay area in 2011 just so they could play a monthly gig with friends but such was the rapport that they found they could develop their sound into something quite different. This album is the ultimate and rewarding result.
There is a lovely balance to the selected songs on the album with three written by Melody Walker, two by Adam Roszkiewicz and the remaining seven ranging from trad. to Bob Dylan and Kate Wolf, amongst others.
Sometimes they do actually play at break neck pace but it never seems to be aimed at showing us how good they are. They seem to have unlimited access to any tempo, but only to match the songs requirements, which adds a depth of character to proceedings that the lyrics and vocals really demand, taking their style and indeed skills beyond what most artists are capable of.
From the opening song Gospel Train you know you are in for something special. As the title suggests this is a gospel song but the performance is incredible, with banjo and fiddle to the fore, but Melody’s stunningly evocative vocal performance on this traditional song leave everything else in the shade. When you add the atmospheric instrumental blend and playing it takes on a further spooky power that will have many listeners salivating at the prospect of eleven more songs! The late Utah Phillips tremendous Rock Salt And Nails starts with a spooky mandolin and Melody’s gorgeous expressive vocal supported by terrific harmonies and a dramatic use of the instrumentation on what could prove to be the definitive version of this often recorded but never bettered song. The albums title track Sake Of The Sound is a strange almost otherworldly song that seems to have a bluegrass structure but a slightly different use of the instruments that include banjo, fiddle, bass, percussion and guitar, and again gorgeous but very unusual vocal harmonies on a song written by Melody Walker. Glacier Song has Jacob Groopman on lead vocal on a song that again has a bluegrass strain although one that seems to have gone past bluegrass and into a modern sound that blends bluegrass, folk and much else. This is something that would only be achievable by musicians who are perfectly attuned to each other, the songs needs and, perhaps more importantly, the confidence to allow their influences free rein and not trying to keep within a recognizable format. Like A River is another song that contains some extraordinarily virtuosic playing and singing with excellent harmonies, banjo, fiddle, bass and guitar on a song that is probably easiest described as a ‘country song,’ but with so much more. Melody is at her expressive best as are the harmonies on a tremendous Kate Wolf
Hopefully this collective of tremendous musical talents will stay together and continue to develop the various roots music strands, stretching the boundaries of a number of genres from folk to bluegrass and developing those genres with their own sense of virtuosic style.
http://www.frontcountryband.com/
Sometimes I get the feeling, often when listening to bluegrass music, that the musicians are playing at breakneck speed simply to impress the listener by exhibiting their skills rather than letting the song live in its own world and tell it’s story or allowing the melody space to breath. Not so, Front Country! Certainly there is some incredible virtuoso playing by musicians steeped in various aspects of ‘American folk’ music that ensures rather than sticking to a tried and tested bluegrass format they play an almost different strain of music. This is not a jazz album but such are the skills in play that the recording almost takes on an improvisational feel, as if the players are trying to push themselves to their limits but the boundary keeps moving further and further away from them.
The six piece band consists of Adam Roszkiewicz on mandolin, Jacob Groopman, guitars and vocals, Melody Walker, vocals and guitar, Jordan Klein on banjo and vocals, Leif Karlstrom plays violin and Zach Sharpe, bass. Many will know of Melody Walker and Jacob Groopman from their high quality duo release of late 2013, ‘We Made It Home.’ Melody’s lead vocal dominates the album but not to the detriment of the virtuosic playing or harmonies. She is a vocalist who can master any genre with her ability to project a songs power rather than relying on any vocal histrionics, although I’m sure she is more than capable of doing so. She takes lead vocal on eight of the tracks, with two being excellent instrumentals that have an almost free form improvisational feel and Jacob Groopman, who is also an excellent vocalist takes the lead on two songs. The collective first formed in the San Francisco bay area in 2011 just so they could play a monthly gig with friends but such was the rapport that they found they could develop their sound into something quite different. This album is the ultimate and rewarding result.
There is a lovely balance to the selected songs on the album with three written by Melody Walker, two by Adam Roszkiewicz and the remaining seven ranging from trad. to Bob Dylan and Kate Wolf, amongst others.
Sometimes they do actually play at break neck pace but it never seems to be aimed at showing us how good they are. They seem to have unlimited access to any tempo, but only to match the songs requirements, which adds a depth of character to proceedings that the lyrics and vocals really demand, taking their style and indeed skills beyond what most artists are capable of.
From the opening song Gospel Train you know you are in for something special. As the title suggests this is a gospel song but the performance is incredible, with banjo and fiddle to the fore, but Melody’s stunningly evocative vocal performance on this traditional song leave everything else in the shade. When you add the atmospheric instrumental blend and playing it takes on a further spooky power that will have many listeners salivating at the prospect of eleven more songs! The late Utah Phillips tremendous Rock Salt And Nails starts with a spooky mandolin and Melody’s gorgeous expressive vocal supported by terrific harmonies and a dramatic use of the instrumentation on what could prove to be the definitive version of this often recorded but never bettered song. The albums title track Sake Of The Sound is a strange almost otherworldly song that seems to have a bluegrass structure but a slightly different use of the instruments that include banjo, fiddle, bass, percussion and guitar, and again gorgeous but very unusual vocal harmonies on a song written by Melody Walker. Glacier Song has Jacob Groopman on lead vocal on a song that again has a bluegrass strain although one that seems to have gone past bluegrass and into a modern sound that blends bluegrass, folk and much else. This is something that would only be achievable by musicians who are perfectly attuned to each other, the songs needs and, perhaps more importantly, the confidence to allow their influences free rein and not trying to keep within a recognizable format. Like A River is another song that contains some extraordinarily virtuosic playing and singing with excellent harmonies, banjo, fiddle, bass and guitar on a song that is probably easiest described as a ‘country song,’ but with so much more. Melody is at her expressive best as are the harmonies on a tremendous Kate Wolf
Hopefully this collective of tremendous musical talents will stay together and continue to develop the various roots music strands, stretching the boundaries of a number of genres from folk to bluegrass and developing those genres with their own sense of virtuosic style.
http://www.frontcountryband.com/