Back when I was a kid, bluegrass meant Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff and a lot of pickin’ and grinnin’ with gap toothed harmonies. Now, there’s this style called “New Bluegrass” or “Deja Bluegrass,” which is typified by groups like The Punch Brothers, or this here Steep Canyon Rangers. The sounds and harmonies are still laid out by these gents, and you’ve still got some pretty nice chops on the melodic lone instrumental “Knob Creek.” Other than that, the sound is sort of a Nashvilli-ized indie band in terms of sensibilities, sound and attitude. The sound has a bit of modern complexity to it, as on the title track, and the stories tend to be a bit on the suffering side of life, as on the agonizing “Ungrateful One” and “Natural Disaster.” Only “As I Go” has the band lighten up musically and emotionally. Maybe it’s the lack of a Southern spirituality and reference to any life in the foundation of the church that makes this seem a bit rootless.
Rounder Records