Rock Hearts’ third album Unfinished Bridges packs the same high level of songwriting excellence, vocal sensitivity, and outstanding musicianship over thirteen cuts. The lineup of Billy Thibodeau’s mandolin, Joe Deetz’s banjo, Alex MacLeod on guitar, Rick Brodsky’s steadying bass, and Austin Scelzo’s compelling fiddle function as a cohesive unit throughout the release. They contribute some original songwriting input, but the bulk of Unfinished Bridges hinges on outside writers and spotlights the band’s interpretive acumen. They are staples of the festival circuit and a well-established touring act looking to further expand their reach. Unfinished Bridges promises to do that and much more.
They realize that promise from the first. “Unfinished Bridges” is a deeply thoughtful and inward-looking title song that nonetheless connects with listeners. The reasons are two-fold. One, the Mark Brinkman and Eric Gnezda written song wrestles with adult concerns and themes in a manner that few listeners over 30 years old won’t relate to. The second is outstanding musical accompaniment that never strictly adheres to a purist stance and, as such, offers a far bigger tent than typical bluegrass acts might.
“I Know It’s Wrong to Love You” ventures into thorny thematic territory. It’s a throwback country ballad rife with bluegrass influences chronicling the wages of unacceptable love. Rock Hearts’ singing vividly conveys the longing and desire in virtually every line, and the arrangement portrays the situation with the appropriate dramatic weight without sounding too heavy-handed. The first of two songwriting contributions from MacLeod, “Pretty Little Bird” is a paean to the speaker’s love filled with affectionate language and a sensitive, intimate vocal performance. Rock Hearts are consistently comfortable wavering between solo and harmony singing; “Pretty Little Bird” strikes a notable balance between these vocal approaches.
“Tall Stands of Timber” is another case study of the band’s vocal chops. The fine singing is a boon for a song that leans heavily on storytelling and characterization but never burdens listeners with unnecessary details. Strong choruses are a hallmark of Unfinished Bridges songs despite hailing from different authors, and “Tall Stands of Timber” features one of the collection’s best. One of Billy Thibodeau’s songwriting contributions to the album, a co-writing credit with Stanley Jordan Keach Jr, “Lonesome Man in a Lonesome Town” plows ahead with considerable muscle. However, it is far from artless. A high level of musicianship fuels this track and accentuates the song’s straightforward structure.
Alex MacLeod’s “Let Me Be the Best Bible” is a deeply felt performance with one of the album’s best collective vocals. Rock Hearts’ singing invests MacLeod’s lyrics with the thoughtful consideration they deserve and aches with a hopeful yearning you hear with a single listen. It’s a song that’s likely to grow on listeners with further plays. Johnnie and Walter Bailes’ “Send Me Your Address in Heaven” is about grief, but it’s subtle. The artistry of the song is it comes across as being about enduring love and has a genuine uplifting spirit, but there’s an undercurrent of grieving that’s impossible to ignore. It’s perhaps a real sleeper track on Unfinished Bridges and shouldn’t be ignored.
There are no misses on this release. Rock Hearts connects with each of the thirteen tracks and leaves a lasting document of their artistry.
Claire Uebelacker