Pick Your Poison
Mountain Home Music, 2023
8/10
A pair of the best in bluegrass, Wayne and Kristin Scott Benson, who have been married for 20 years now, bring their mandolin and banjo fueled songs to this first album on the Mountain Home Music Company, where they’ve got some excellent help along for the listen.
“Icy Cold” leads the listen with Kristin’s swift banjo and Wayne’s warm mandolin alongside the soothing vocals from Grayson Lane and harmony vocals thanks to Mickey Harris, and “I’ll Follow The Sun” follows with Jim VanCleve’s agile fiddle and Paul Watson’s precise bass populating the melodic and dreamy take on the classic McCartney and Lennon tune.
At the halfway point, the very quick “Red Mountain Wine” benefits much from Cody Kilby’s skilled acoustic guitar that suits the meticulous banjo and mandolin, while rich and cautious “What Kind Of Fool Are You?” is full harmonic bluegrass playing that will always be relevant.
“Living In These Troubled Times” and “Riverside” exit the listen, where the former showcases Tony Creasman’s adaptable drumming and Jon Weisberger’s intricate bass to fuel the album’s best, and the latter finishes with a dreamy instrumental that blends the banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar, bass, fiddle and drums into a very memorable closer.
Wayne has an impressive resume playing in Russell Moore & Illard Tyme Out, and Kristin has been a consistent member of the Grascals. Together, and with an excellent band, they flesh out superb originals and charming interpretations of classics via their unpredictable bluegrass.
Travels well with: The Alex Leach Band- All The Way; Ashby Frank- Leaving Is Believing