Heyday
Mountain Home, 2022
8/10
The long running outfit Lonesome River Band return with a new batch of their esteemed and time honored song craft that welcomes new member Adam Miller (mandolin, lead, harmony vocals) alongside Sammy Shelor (banjo, harmony vocals), Mike Hartgrove (fiddle), Kameron Keller (upright bass, harmony vocals), and Jesse Smathers (guitar, lead and harmony vocals).
“Mary Ann Is A Pistol” starts the listen with soothing vocal harmonies and playful banjo, as timeless bluegrass flows, and “Cumberland River Shore” follows with dynamic and swift string interaction where strong vocals take the lead on the melodic and sublime song craft.
Deeper into the listen, the intimate mandolin of the emotive “Emerald Holler” is quite stirring, while “Come On Down From The Mountain Top” emits a rural energy that will get your body moving to the string acrobatics and radiant vocal harmonies.
Close to the end, “Love Songs” is one of the quickest tunes, where the meticulous bass and fascinating fiddle work doesn’t disappoint, and “That’s Life” exits the listen with heartfelt singing and mature musicianship that’s universally relatable, lyrically, and musically just as embraceable.
In their 40 years as a band, Lonesome River Band has seen members come and go, but what stays constant is their powerful and memorable bluegrass that puts them in a league entirely their own.
Travels well with: Unspoken Tradition- Imaginary Lines; Jaelee Roberts- Something You Didn’t Count On