THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS
RISE SUN
4.5.19
When tracing the history of
American music, Bluegrass is still a relatively young genre. Hollywood may have
added a decade onto Bluegrass’ age by using it as the soundtrack to Bonnie & Clyde’s exploits in the
1967 film, but the truth is that the genre didn’t exist until long after the
duo’s 1934 death. While variations of
the sound most likely developed a few years before it became mainstream,
Bluegrass became a phenomenon in the mid-‘40s and is one of the few styles of
music that has continued to progress while also remaining true to its roots – the more things change, the more they stay the
same. Even though modern Country Music bears little to no resemblance to the
Country & Western of the ‘40s, Bluegrass is still Bluegrass – honest and
pure.
Since 2006, The Infamous Stringdusters have been
taking Bluegrass to new heights while still keeping their boots firmly on the
ground. Since their 2007 debut album FORK IN THE ROAD, the band has won
numerous awards, gained glowing reviews from critics, and continue to expand
their audience beyond the Bluegrass faithful. But how do they manage to take
the tried and true formula and create something new out of it? Perhaps the band’s
intense love of what they do has been a key element in their musical
progression.
“We have no fear! We aren’t
making music to win awards and we never have,” fiddle player Jeremy Garrett told Discussion Magazine’s Dave Rayburn. “It’s awesome to get an
accolade like the Grammy, and it puts some serious gas in the tank as far as
momentum and energy for what we are doing. The fact is, we continue to make the
best original music that we can regardless of how it might be received in the
industry. In the end, we believe in spreading light and love through our music
and that is our most pointed goal.”
On RISE SUN, the
Grammy-winning quintet’s ninth album, The Infamous Stringdusters have created
an album that moves closer to ‘commercial’ territory without sacrificing a bit
of their musical integrity. This is definitely a Bluegrass album yet it has a
Pop sensibility to it that may surprise those non-fans who expect a standard,
vaguely updated variation on old Ricky Scaggs
or Flatt & Scruggs classics. “Rise
Sun” and “Another Night” kickstart the party, appealing to their fanbase while
also inviting new listeners to this musical gathering. “Planets” has a
beautiful and melancholic melody that recalls The Band at their most sincere. “Long Time Coming” adds a touch of
Irish Folk to the mix. Tracks like “Comin’ Again,” “Thunder,” “Carry Me Away,”
and “Wake The Dead” combine the best elements of Bluegrass and Country. Upon
further investigation, the music reveals nods to The Grateful Dead, Country Rock and a myriad of other influences. RISE
SUN will appeal to old and new Stringdusters fans and solidify their
position as one of the most exciting Bluegrass bands in recent times.
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