Breaks To The Edge
Mountain Home, 2020
8/10
The bluegrass sensations Sideline have had much success the last couple of years, and here the North Carolina sextet deliver a strong album of both traditional and progressive bluegrass sounds.
“Digging My Own Grave” starts the listen with fluid, harmonic bluegrass as the vocals soar and the finger pickin’ illuminates the tune, and “Return To Windy Mountain” follows with a more subdued, almost haunting approach of dynamic string work between the players.
Near the middle, “Your Selfish Heart” flows with sweet melodies and soothing vocal harmonies, while “Roll On Blues” glides with a swift pace of mountain-esque fun. “I’ll Live Again”, one of the album’s best, then brings in Ray Dean Reese for a vocally strong and musically diverse display of unparalleled skill.
Towards the end, the tragic love song “Amy” recruits emotive vocals alongside the intricate mandolin, and “Down In The Willow Garden” ends the listen with banjo acrobatics and timeless bluegrass song craft.
Now 5 albums deep, Sideline’s storytelling, where folk, country, and gospel ideas are part of the inimitable formula, has never sounded better, as they again prove why they’re considered one of the best of the genre.
Travels well with: Balsam Range- The Gospel Collection; The Grascals- Straighten The Curves