OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW - VOLUNTEER
2018 - Sony Music
It was September 2010 when a crammed 'Komedia' in Brighton witnessed the Old Crow Medicine Show playing a quite stunning gig. I and probably everyone else in that assemblage were totally blown away by the sheer quality and musicality of their performance and many, including me, said that it was the best gig they had ever attended, a claim that I still adhere to! Obviously any such claims are coloured by time, the way we felt then, the way we currently feel and a huge number of other factors and emotions, but however coloured our vision the fact remains that it was a truly great gig.
In my usual convoluted way that paragraph was my build up towards saying this incredible new album is on a par with that gig and is arguably the best recording this band of so many talents has ever released. I don't say that lightly because as far as I'm concerned every one of the Old Crow Medicine Shows recordings is absolutely essential listening for anyone who claims to love 'roots' music.
The Old Crow Medicine Show are an American 'string band' who play the old style of 'hillbilly' music but are anything but slaves to the style bringing their own modern attitudes and personality to the music whilst holding on to the fire, drive and sheer dynamism that made so many of the 1920s string bands so popular in their time and fanning the ever growing flames of popularity as it spreads to the modern day. It's strange really that a band who work within what can only be described as the 'constraints' of string band music at the same have an innate ability to work without constraint whilst still keeping their deeply embedded roots!
In the twenty or so years of their existence there have been relatively few lineup changes although three of their number who did leave the band, Gil Landry, Matt Kinman and Willie Watson are all pursuing successful solo careers, with albums that are more than worthy of your investigation. The current band consists of Ketch Secor, Critter Fuqua, Cory Younts, Morgan Jahnig, Chance McCoy and Kevin Hayes, all hugely talented musicians in their own right. It seems hardly any time at all since they were described as being a (probably THE) young band who were bringing a breath of fresh air and a modern attitude to string band music and were destined for great things. Twenty years down the line they are still bringing that same breath of freshness; having, in my eyes achieved that promised greatness, in fact they are now very much the string band against whom all others are measured, although few, if any, can match up to them (perhaps The Hackensaw Boys?) Several members of the band are 'multi instrumentalists' so it is pointless to name who plays what on any particular song so suffice to say the mix of instruments include fiddle, banjo, various guitars, drums, bass, mandolin, guitjo, ukulele, harmonica, although on this album they also drafted in Joe Andrews who variously plays, banjo, mandolin, pedal steel, ukulele, electric guitar, in fact slotting seamlessly in wherever his skills are required. The ten songs are all band originals although the traditional instrumental Elzick’s Farewell is also included whilst Ketch Secor had a hand in the writing of nine of the songs, with three being solely by him. The album was recorded at the historic RCA Studio 'A' with production duties carried out by Dave Cobb who has also worked on albums by Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson.
There is a fiery start to the album opener, Flicker and shine with the fiddle, bass and percussive hand claps leading in the lead vocal and harmonies on an incredibly dynamic song that not only supplies a flavour of what will follow but also gives a clue to the bands high powered live concerts, leaving the listener almost breathless! A percussive thud, handclaps and dobro lead into the vocals on Child of the Mississippi soon joined by banjo, with the thudding bass continuing, on a song that has a strong 'country music' feel but which decade is impossible to say; perhaps 1960s/1970s, who knows? Whatever, it is certainly a great song, latterly enhanced by the harmonica adding more colour to a song that is always recognisably the Old Crows, as evidenced by the drive, dynamism and certainly the harmonies. On Dixie Avenue we are treated to a rarity on an Old Crows album, a twanging electric guitar, something that was used just once before and that by Dave Rawlings on 2004s 'hit' song, Wagon wheel, with bass, percussion, banjo and excellent lead and harmony vocals eventually joined by steel guitar giving a boost to the powerful country aspect. The song has an incredibly catchy melody that is repetitious but flows so enjoyably it is almost impossible to get it out of your head. Old Hickory gets underway with a slow moody fiddle and acoustic guitar soon joined by drums, banjo, percussion, bass and harmonica as the sound fills out on a tremendous song that feels more like 'The Band' than most of what the Band themselves released, particularly the harmonies on the chorus! It really is an incredible song that is slow paced but more powerful for that on a tremendous story on which the flow and tempo of the instrumentation is not bettered by any other song on this brilliant album and may well be another great song that is seen as defining the band.
As a fan since the start of their career it will be no surprise to anyone that I love this album. I've loved all of its predecessors as well but 'Volunteer' just seems to have that little extra something that for me lifts it to the 'classic' status. The songs are beautifully written, the production excellent, the playing is peerless but it is the incredible dynamism, even on the ballads, that lifts it above everything else. A great album by a great band!
http://volunteer.crowmedicine.com/
It was September 2010 when a crammed 'Komedia' in Brighton witnessed the Old Crow Medicine Show playing a quite stunning gig. I and probably everyone else in that assemblage were totally blown away by the sheer quality and musicality of their performance and many, including me, said that it was the best gig they had ever attended, a claim that I still adhere to! Obviously any such claims are coloured by time, the way we felt then, the way we currently feel and a huge number of other factors and emotions, but however coloured our vision the fact remains that it was a truly great gig.
In my usual convoluted way that paragraph was my build up towards saying this incredible new album is on a par with that gig and is arguably the best recording this band of so many talents has ever released. I don't say that lightly because as far as I'm concerned every one of the Old Crow Medicine Shows recordings is absolutely essential listening for anyone who claims to love 'roots' music.
The Old Crow Medicine Show are an American 'string band' who play the old style of 'hillbilly' music but are anything but slaves to the style bringing their own modern attitudes and personality to the music whilst holding on to the fire, drive and sheer dynamism that made so many of the 1920s string bands so popular in their time and fanning the ever growing flames of popularity as it spreads to the modern day. It's strange really that a band who work within what can only be described as the 'constraints' of string band music at the same have an innate ability to work without constraint whilst still keeping their deeply embedded roots!
In the twenty or so years of their existence there have been relatively few lineup changes although three of their number who did leave the band, Gil Landry, Matt Kinman and Willie Watson are all pursuing successful solo careers, with albums that are more than worthy of your investigation. The current band consists of Ketch Secor, Critter Fuqua, Cory Younts, Morgan Jahnig, Chance McCoy and Kevin Hayes, all hugely talented musicians in their own right. It seems hardly any time at all since they were described as being a (probably THE) young band who were bringing a breath of fresh air and a modern attitude to string band music and were destined for great things. Twenty years down the line they are still bringing that same breath of freshness; having, in my eyes achieved that promised greatness, in fact they are now very much the string band against whom all others are measured, although few, if any, can match up to them (perhaps The Hackensaw Boys?) Several members of the band are 'multi instrumentalists' so it is pointless to name who plays what on any particular song so suffice to say the mix of instruments include fiddle, banjo, various guitars, drums, bass, mandolin, guitjo, ukulele, harmonica, although on this album they also drafted in Joe Andrews who variously plays, banjo, mandolin, pedal steel, ukulele, electric guitar, in fact slotting seamlessly in wherever his skills are required. The ten songs are all band originals although the traditional instrumental Elzick’s Farewell is also included whilst Ketch Secor had a hand in the writing of nine of the songs, with three being solely by him. The album was recorded at the historic RCA Studio 'A' with production duties carried out by Dave Cobb who has also worked on albums by Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson.
There is a fiery start to the album opener, Flicker and shine with the fiddle, bass and percussive hand claps leading in the lead vocal and harmonies on an incredibly dynamic song that not only supplies a flavour of what will follow but also gives a clue to the bands high powered live concerts, leaving the listener almost breathless! A percussive thud, handclaps and dobro lead into the vocals on Child of the Mississippi soon joined by banjo, with the thudding bass continuing, on a song that has a strong 'country music' feel but which decade is impossible to say; perhaps 1960s/1970s, who knows? Whatever, it is certainly a great song, latterly enhanced by the harmonica adding more colour to a song that is always recognisably the Old Crows, as evidenced by the drive, dynamism and certainly the harmonies. On Dixie Avenue we are treated to a rarity on an Old Crows album, a twanging electric guitar, something that was used just once before and that by Dave Rawlings on 2004s 'hit' song, Wagon wheel, with bass, percussion, banjo and excellent lead and harmony vocals eventually joined by steel guitar giving a boost to the powerful country aspect. The song has an incredibly catchy melody that is repetitious but flows so enjoyably it is almost impossible to get it out of your head. Old Hickory gets underway with a slow moody fiddle and acoustic guitar soon joined by drums, banjo, percussion, bass and harmonica as the sound fills out on a tremendous song that feels more like 'The Band' than most of what the Band themselves released, particularly the harmonies on the chorus! It really is an incredible song that is slow paced but more powerful for that on a tremendous story on which the flow and tempo of the instrumentation is not bettered by any other song on this brilliant album and may well be another great song that is seen as defining the band.
As a fan since the start of their career it will be no surprise to anyone that I love this album. I've loved all of its predecessors as well but 'Volunteer' just seems to have that little extra something that for me lifts it to the 'classic' status. The songs are beautifully written, the production excellent, the playing is peerless but it is the incredible dynamism, even on the ballads, that lifts it above everything else. A great album by a great band!
http://volunteer.crowmedicine.com/