Frontiers Like These
Self-Released, 2019
8/10
Listen to Frontiers Like These
The man who handles banjos duties for jam band stars Leftover Salmon, Frontiers Like These is Andy Thorn’s first solo disc in 8 years, and he makes it worth the wait with plenty of harmonies and strong musicianship from not only Thorn, but a small handful of esteemed friends.
“Coming Round Again” starts the listen with a mix of country and folk sounds with banjos as well as fiddles and flowing vocal harmonies, and “Blazing New Frontiers” follows with memorable bluegrass qualities as Thorn pulls off some lovely melodies.
There’s an awful lot of talent on hand here, as members of Leftover Salmon, Mandolin Orange, Town Mountain, Big Fat Gap and Jon Stickley Trio are present and it makes for unparalleled chemistry on tracks like the instrumental “Star Of St. Elmo”, while the laid back feel of “Standing Still” emits a warm, timeless feel.
The back half of the listen offers the moutain-esque fun of “Five String Picker In A Second String Band”, the cautious and meticulous picking of “Isabelle’s Wake” and the emotive, heartfelt “Dealt To You”. The album exits on the proficient melodies and robust, wise wordplay of “Warning Call”, where Thorn’s banjo acrobatics are nothing short of awe inspiring.
A strong outing both musically and lyrically, current topics like climate change and economic disparity are addressed, as the music embraces the jam band qualities of Thorn’s full time gig, as well as the organic, nature-esque melodies of North Carolina, where the album was recorded in just a few days.
Travels well with: Greensky Bluegrass- Shouted, Written Down & Quoted;Sam Bush- Laps In Seven