All Of These Years
Bonfire, 2020
8/10
The Grammy nominated Steve Thomas returns with 12 original tunes here that document his nearly 40 years as a professional musician, as he injects blues and country into his timeless bluegrass foundation.
“Down In The Wildwood” starts the listen with mandolin and banjo guiding the emotive, bluegrass landscape, and “All Of These Years” follows and brings a country spirit into the mountainesque song craft.
In the middle, the speedy “Lucky Man” recruits some of the best vocal harmonies amid the precise finger picking, while “Rocky Road Blues” does in fact bring some blues influence to the dobro filled fun. “The Moon Over Georgia” then brings the listen into ballad territory, as expressive and soulful vocals from both Thomas and Josh Matheny highlight the mood.
The band bookend the listen well with the playful and melodic “The Rat Race”, and “We’ll Meet Again Sweetheart” finishes the effort with vocal harmonies from Bobby Osborne that are as memorable as they are warm.
Thomas handles mandolin, guitar, fiddle and the bulk of the vocals here, and he does an excellent job, as does his esteemed band. Together, they deliver a record that sounds, feels and resonates with graceful beauty and sophisticated playfulness.
Travels well with: Bradley & Adair- Oh Darlin; Merle Monroe- Back To The Country