| From the April 2, 2004 edition of The Red Deer Advocate newspaper | |
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Old Crow Medicine Show OCMS (Nettwerk) |
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 Capturing string band lo-fi intensity like some junkyard brotherhood of Grateful Dead progeny, Old Crow Medicine Show is one of an increasing number of youthful acts bridging the once seemingly insurmountable gap between free-form rock experimentation and mountain holler traditions. OCMS just may be the ambassadors that will bring a generation of kids to the joys of banjo and fiddle bands. Sensitively produced by folk noir master David Rawlings, OCMS exude a lonesome old-time quality featuring music played fervently before slowing with notes coaxed out of dusty strings; their sound is ripened with the authentic bonus of having spent time in the mountains of North Carolina, a quality that comes with the Doc Watson nod of approval. While the band reinvents "CC Rider" as a funereal dirge, the strongest material is their original compositions, a sure sign that a band has legs. "Take 'em Away," a gently rolling number speaks of freedom while "Big Time In The Jungle," a Vietnam ballad that effectively harkens a Civil War-era sound, addresses the opposite. Recommended if Gillian Welch, Norman Blake, and Nickel Creek discs are in your collection. |
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The Clumsy Lovers After the Flood (Nettwerk) |
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 If Sam Phillips had believed bluegrass, not rhythm and blues, would be the music to deliver he and Elvis their fortunes, possibly all contemporary rock music would sound as vibrant as the Clumsy Lovers beautifying collection of Monroe music flavoured with a light, Celtic beat. With pop tunes such as "Better Me" and "Mercy" filling the airwaves with electric banjo accented by similarly infused fiddle, the Clumsy Lovers are proof that Canadians can play with southern traditions as readily as their Dixie brethren. One hears a bit of Great Big Sea in this British Columbia quintet's harmonies but their sound is less obviously commercial; experimental, the band plays around with a variety of lively rhythms in a lighthearted, seemingly spontaneous manner that is fresh and personable. They have successfully captured the energy of their dynamic live performances on disc. With any luck, the Clumsy Lovers will be all over the radio this summer, bringing their punchy, bouncy but still rootsy music to the masses. Recommended if Katrina and the Waves, J.D. Crowe & the New South, and Natalie MacMaster discs are in your collection. |
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