The six members of The Grascals share instantly recognizable chemistry. The lineup has changed over the band’s two-decade history, but the aesthetic remains the same. Moreover, The Grascals never stop valuing simpatico imaginations. The thirteen songs included on their new album 20 document songwriters, singers, and musicians working on the same page, and results in a full and coherent statement. No warring egos are weighing down the album’s potential.
The Grascals’ 20 isn’t a staid affair. The band’s open-hearted original songwriting efforts, deeply felt vocals, varied arrangements, and a willingness to plumb the genre’s history for audacious covers keep things lively. 20 extols the guiding spirit underlying The Grascals’ journey – a shared love for bluegrass music, a yearning to see it grow and endure the march of time, the need for self-expression, and a desire to entertain. The Grascals’ new release is an enduring musical and songwriting document that essentially sets down what it means to be alive.
It shows unexpected chutzpah kicking things off by covering a largely forgotten classic. The Delmore Brothers scored a hit with this “Tennessee Hound Dog”, penned by the legendary husband/wife songwriting team of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant. It’s a full-tilt musical ride that The Grascals tackle as if it is their own composition. The resulting personal stamp they put on the performance gives it needed relevancy.
“Coal Dust Kisses” is another track highlighting the band’s allegiance to classic bluegrass. However, titling the song in such a way and centering it in a specific geographical area of the country can have a limiting effect on its appeal. It will resonate far more with mid-south listeners for whom coal mining is a familiar staple of their lives, whereas other potential listeners will admire the song at a distance, in a more academic fashion. The music definitely builds a physical connection with the audience, and the vocals are as top-notch as ever.
The Grascals take another stylistic approach with “I Need a Night Off”. The band marries their bluegrass talents with the emotional wasteland of a classic country music weeper. We wholly believe that the song’s “speaker” wants nothing more than a respite, however brief, from brooding over their lost love. Jamie Harper’s fiddle playing deeply tunes into the song’s emotional weather and invokes bereft heartache wordlessly yet eloquently.
“Pull the Trigger” and “Reflection” loosen the band’s grip on bluegrass traditions. The former cut blends those traditions with a surprising rock slant, albeit delivered in an acoustic setting. However, “Reflection” has a cinematic atmosphere with big chords, physical playing, and a declamatory vocal that nonetheless soars with the song’s arrangement. This duo amply shows the band’s artistic dexterity without ever sacrificing their identity. “I Go” couples tasteful pop sensibilities with the bluegrass soul guiding the album’s material. The vocals are, once again, outstanding.
The closer “Come Jesus Come” concludes Go on a pensive and magical note. Even non-believers will find themselves admiring the deep feeling that fuels this performance. Bringing 20 to an end in such a way emphasizes the profound relationship that each of the band’s six members shares with the communal art of performing music. This finale is one of the album’s most uplifting moments and closes a spectacular release from The Grascals.
Claire Uebelacker