Ride Home
Nova Scotia, 2024
8/10
An old time trio based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, The Old Beef Stringband bring their vintage, bluegrass and country blues to these very fun 5 songs.
“Ride Home” opens with Ellen Kearney’s warm guitar and Dane George’s flowing mandolin in the breezy and melodic climate, and “Cynthia” follows with Amy Lounder’s fiddle acrobatics that guide the mountain-esque sounds of the uplifting instrumental.
In the middle, “Hot Sausage Mama” recruits Jude Pelley’s strategic bass for the playful delivery that’s got plenty of nostalgia, while “Gospel Plough” places Pelley on vocal via the meticulous and vocally harmonic traditional.
At the end, the swift picking of “The Love You Give” makes for a heartfelt and tuneful finish that embraces gorgeous singing and charming string interaction.
Kearney and Lounder both sing on the EP, and their pipes are infectious and gripping. The musicianship is top notch as well, and fans old time sounds won’t be disappointed.
Travels well with: Birds Of Play- Birdsongs Of The American West; Ellen Gibling- The Bend In The Light