Slack Family Bluegrass Band

Combining a traditionalist approach with a slightly modern sheen, the Slack Family's debut album finds them hitting hard with a driving, straightforward attack. Joined by fiddler James Bailey of the Country Gentlemen, this is an extraordinarily tight band, becoming downright virtuosic on Earl Scruggs' "Groundspeed" and Sonny Osborne's "Sledride." Though the Slack Family boast excellent three-part harmonies and a nice, clean swinging melodic sound similar to that of Front Range, they never quite reach the same level of vocal dynamics or musical eclecticism. Still, that should hardly be taken as a criticism, as those who love the huddle around two microphones mentality of bluegrass performances won't be disappointed by the Slack Family's approach. The smooth, relaxed originals "Train of Love" and "Caroline," both written by lead singer and guitarist Joe Wharff, are rather sweet tunes, with elements of pop melodicism fitting nicely with carefully driven rhythms. The retelling of the mythical bear in "Slewfoot," the tale of rural life lost in "Old Home Place," and the themes of mountain life in "Footprints Down the Hill" are indicative of the greater traditionalist aesthetic here, though it would probably be a stretch to say that the Slack Family embody the classic high and lonesome sound. Nonetheless, Slack Family Bluegrass Band is a consistently engaging listen that should appeal to purists and progressives alike.