Losing Time
Pinecastle, 2022
9/10
The Missouri rooted outfit Route 3 have lengthy roots in bluegrass sounds, and here they bring us 11 melodic and harmonic tracks thanks to Jason Jordan’s guitar and vocals, and Doug Clifton, Gaylon Harper, Roy Bond and Ron Stewart’s string acrobatics.
The title track starts the listen off with Harper’s fluid banjo alongside the smooth singing in the timeless bluegrass landscape, and “South Bound Train” follows with stirring fiddle prowess from Stewart, as the eloquent storytelling unfolds with much grace.
In the middle, “Half A Heart” showcases dynamic string interaction amid the heartfelt singing that emits much beauty, while “Time” gets quite intimate, where a reflective tone radiates much skill from Bond’s mandolin.
Approaching the end, “Jasper Beckett” places a bit of grit into the meticulous climate, and “Take My Hand” exits with a fast pace of stunning picking as the quintet finish with timeless, flowing bluegrass.
For fans of bluegrass, it doesn’t get much better than this, and let’s hope there’s more on the horizon soon from Route 3.
Travels well with: Nick Chandler & Delivered- Silver Bird; Wildfire- Quiet Country Town