Blue Moon Rising is probably one of the best of the least recognized bluegrass groups out there, but with their 2010 album, Strange New World<\/i>, they are finally getting their due and are putting a lasting mark on the genre. <\/p>\n
Strange New World<\/i> is the band\u2019s fifth album since starting out in 2001, and their first on the Rural Rhythm Records label.\u00a0 It is indeed a strange new world for the band because, incredibly, this version of the band is almost completely different from that which was on their last recording, as founding member Chris West lost all three of his band mates to other groups in 2009.\u00a0 Lineup changes are common in bluegrass and the personnel switches sometimes produce uneven results. But talented guitarist and songwriter West is clearly the band’s sonic pacemaker.\u00a0 The band’s sound remains impressive, balancing the forces that divide bluegrass and country music, and traditional and progressive ‘grassers, and they do so with incredible ease.\u00a0 Even the cover is probably the most creative ever to be found in the genre thus far.\u00a0 Eschewing the standard, bland photo of the band that graces nearly every other bluegrass album cover, Strange New World<\/i> is graced with artwork depicting the themes of the songs, and looks more akin to a Jimi Hendrix spread than to a band that employs no feedback or distortion whatsoever.<\/p>\n
One of the persistently amazing things about bluegrass music is that no matter the band, whether you like the genre or not, there will be a song that will make you subconsciously tap your foot.\u00a0 There are several like that on this album but \u201cTime To Be Moving On,\u201d the opening fast driving song about a relationship that has run its course, fits this billing in excellent fashion.\u00a0 From this high, you are thrust to the depths of despair in \u201cNever Happy Until I\u2019m Full of Sorrow\u201d (doesn\u2019t everyone know someone like this?), which fits comfortably side by side with the third track, \u201cHard Luck Joe.\u201d\u00a0 These more traditional offerings along with \u201cSecond Best\u201d and \u201cBarely Hangin\u2019 On\u201d play on typical themes of bluegrass music of hard times, and lost love.\u00a0 But several tracks on this album show Blue Moon Rising taking it to the next level.\u00a0 \u201cMy Sittin\u2019 Window\u201d is one of the most exquisitely written songs offered in bluegrass in recent years, and it is enough to make a Hell\u2019s Angel cry.\u00a0 At first, the song seems to simply be about an elderly person looking out their window on the neighborhood, but the song unfolds into the chilling revelation that it is the ghost of an 18 year old Confederate soldier who never got to experience the love of his life, and has been trapped in a rocking chair for 150 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s All Around Us\u201d bends the bluegrass genre about as far as it can go without breaking.\u00a0 It holds a steady bluesy rhythm like Muddy Waters with a bluegrass accompaniment that includes drums, chewing hard on the words about the devil\u2019s temptations like they\u2019re beef jerky.\u00a0 With a touch of irony that really embodies man\u2019s back and forth between sin and God, this symphony for the devil is placed back-to-back with a simple, stripped down old-time gospel number, \u201cLiving Water.\u201d\u00a0 Simply West\u2019s guitar, mandolin and bass with quartet harmonies, this song sings of the Lord\u2019s redemptive power and its beautiful lyrics are magnified by the production\u2019s simplicity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Dust Bowl\u201d is another evocative song about pride and poverty that has reminders of Alison Krauss and Union Station\u2019s work a decade ago.\u00a0 Session musician Randy Kohrs provides some stunning dobro work throughout the album, but on this song, the dobro part is just as important as the lead vocal.\u00a0 It adds the lilting, mournful sound that the protagonist of the song feels at every turn.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Song placement on this album is excellent and proves that some thought went into the track order.\u00a0 The last track \u201cWhat A Helluva Way To Go\u201d takes us out with West\u2019s finger picked guitar and a cello — going from factory layoffs to a junkie dying on a subway car, and finally, leaping with him off of a bridge into eternity.\u00a0 This is not your grandfather\u2019s sappy country suicide song.\u00a0 West\u2019s baritone reaches out and takes you with him all the way up the edge of the bridge.<\/p>\n
Personnel changes have not affected the integrity of the music produced by this band.\u00a0 Their quality musicianship songwriting and song choices are starting to place this band among the A-list bluegrass bands.\u00a0 While they do not take on as many shows as other bluegrass groups do to support their albums, Blue Moon Rising has been successful at being noticed for their work.\u00a0 Now with a larger label, Rural Rhythm, they have the opportunity to break out.\u00a0 With Strange New World<\/i>, they deserve it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":30853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[8788],"rating":[5646],"class_list":["post-42530","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-blue-moon-rising","rating-rating-a"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/42530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/42530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=42530"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=42530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}