Life’s Parade
Dark Shadow, 2025
9/10
The guitarist and singer Rick Faris is joined by some excellent players for these 12 bluegrass fueled songs that make up his 4th solo album.
The bright melodies of “Bend, Don’t Break” opens with Faris’ smooth voice alongside Ron Block’s fluid banjo, and “Can’t Sing The Blues No More” follows with Harry Clark’s swift mandolin amid Stephen Mougin’s baritone vocals via the rich delivery.
Landing in the middle, “On The Right Track” benefits much from Laura Orshaw’s meticulous fiddle for the mountain-esque fun, while “The Sound Of Lonely” spotlights Dan Tyminski’s animated mandolin and Mark Schatz’s intricate bass across the album’s best.
Close to the end, “Words In This Song” is just Faris’ intimate pipes and emotive guitar illuminating the bare climate, and “The Rabbit Hole” exits with a quick bluegrass appeal thanks to the meticulous string interaction and Faris’ expressive singing.
Faris is the recipient of the 2024 IBMA Songwriter Of The Year award and it’s not hard to see why; he pens timeless, relatable and memorable bluegrass that we could never tire of.
Travels well with: Danny Paisley- Bluegrass State Of Mind; Ashby Frank- Leaving Is Believing