Don’t Look Down
Self-Released, 2019
8/10
The Brooklyn quartet Damn Tall Buildings have come a long way since their busking days, and Don’t Look Down continues their self-described ‘guerilla roots’, where 4 part harmonies are never in short supply, nor are fiddle and banjo acrobatics.
The Berklee grads don’t take long to reel you in to their charming brand of bluegrass with the ambient opening and smooth banjo fun of “Late July”, where vocal harmonies accompany the skilled musicianship. Deeper cuts like the barnyard dancin’ fun of “Had Too Much”, with Sasha Dubyk’s strong, soulful pipes, and the intimate yet playful setting of “Angeline’s Blue Dream” aren’t anything to spit at, either.
The back half of the album is loaded with plenty to skilled song craft, too, with the swift bluegrass friskiness of “Loving Or Leaving”, the warm, soothing balladry of “Allison”, and the rowdy folk tune “Green Grass And Wine” which could easily soundtrack any mountain party. The album ends on “Location”, a gently plucked closer where an orchestral slant and introspective mood exit the album as effectively as it started.
These youngsters are taking the time honored tradition of bluegrass and injecting with some much embraced youthfulness while still retaining all the tenets of the genre that have made it so timeless. For fans of roots rock, Americana and folk, there’s also plenty to enjoy here, although most of us will find every tune here to be exceptional.
Travels well with: The Devil Makes Three- Chains Are Broken;- Greensky Bluesky- Shouted, Written Down & Quoted