Just Above The Waterline
SJ21, 2020
10/10
Listen to Just Above The Waterline
A veteran musician who was formally in Jubal Foster, on his own the North Carolina resident Mark Bumgarner continues the thoughtful formula of his previous band, where strong singing and top notch guitar playing help cover 20 years of his life with Just Above The Waterline.
The title track starts the listen and wastes no time reeling us in with Bumgarner’s warm, expressive singing as Americana tinted song craft unfolds with beauty and flowing melodies, and “My Cross To Bear” continues the setting with a swift pace of intricate guitar work alongside lush instrumentation.
Halfway through, “Rise And Shine” resides in ballad territory as the emotive landscape is filled with sublime songwriting where an organ makes a big impact, while “By The Fifth Swing In” gets playful with quick strumming as folk ideas are in attendance. “Goodbye Blues”, one of the album’s best, then soars with a subdued display of timeless skill that’s delivered with a heartfelt approach.
“You Live And You Learn” and “Two Story Town” bookend the listen, where the former recruits some honky tonk qualities into a piano friendly climate, and the latter exits with a danceable pace of rural, barnyard fun.
This is Bumgarner’s 3rd solo album, and, if after listening to it you don’t feel compelled to track down his first 2 albums, well, you just aren’t listening close enough as he’s one of the best in today’s thriving Americana scene.
Travels well with: John Baumann- Country Shade; Tessy Lou Williams- Tessy Lou Williams