Bobby & Teddi Cyrus
Pinecastle, 2021
8/10
The husband and wife duo of Bobby and Teddi Cyrus sure brought some excellent company along with them for these 12 new songs, as Justin Moses (dobro, fiddle, banjo), Rigsby (mandolin), Mark Fain (bass), Kenny Smith (guitar), Garnet and Ronnie Bowman (background vocals), Scott Vestal (banjo), Dave Roe (bass) and Eamon McLaughlin (fiddle, cello, viola) are along for the ride.
“My Wedding Day” starts the listen with plenty of warm, glorious song craft as gospel ideas enter the soothing duet that benefits much from Bobby’s acoustic guitar, and “He Rescued Me” follows with a playful spirit as Teddi’s strong pipes resonate alongside Moses’ deft banjo skills.
Approaching the middle, “Roll That Rock” emits a timeless bluegrass influence as plenty of melody enters the smooth delivery, while “Big Ole Train” flows with string acrobatics and a frisky pace of mountain rock. “Man Behind The Voice” then moves cautiously, gracefully and with sublime balladry where Bobby’s versatile pipes shine
Some of the best tracks reside at the end, including the vocally strong and musically proficient “Other Fields To Plow”, and “The Love Song” exits the listen bare, romantic and full of emotive songwriting as both Bobby and Teddi take their turn handling vocals.
Both Bobby and Teddi grew up in Kentucky, and they embrace the traditions of their home state with fluent country and bluegrass ideas that never shy away from religious themes on this perfect addition to the Pinecastle Records roster.
Travels well with: Williamson Branch- Heritage & Hope; Dale Ann Bradley- She Couldn’t Get Over It