Story The Crow Told Me
Equal Housing, 2025
9/10
Listen to Story The Crow Told Me
The frontman for Old Crow Medicine Show, this debut album from Ketch Secor offers a coming-of-age story about a dreamer who carved his path to the top, one song at a time, and welcomes some excellent guests.
The playful and rich opener, “Busker’s Spell”, leads with Critter Fuqua’s thumping drums complementing Secor’s distinct pipes and the animated fiddle, and “Talkin’ Doc Blues” follows with a swift display of talking and singing via the mountain-esque flavor.
Further along, the spirited harmonica and frisky melodies of “Old Man River” emits plenty of bluegrass nods, while “Highland Rim” enlists Marty Stuart’s flowing mandolin for the elegant and poetic album highlight.
Deeper yet, the brisk pace of the animated “Holes In The Wall” will get your body moving to the rural rock flavor that invites singing-along in a the way that R.E.M.’s “It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” does, and “What Nashville Was” exits with Molly Tuttle contributing harmony vocals to the lush and pretty exit that benefits from Eddy Dunlap’s aching pedal steel.
Secor plays a variety of instruments here (fiddle, banjo, harmonica, bass, organ, spoon), samples Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, and his inimitable help makes for a very diverse, engaging and creative peek into the mind of one of this generation’s most esteemed songwriters.
Travels well with: Old Crow Medicine Show- Jubilee; The Devil Makes Three- Chains Are Broken