Billy Blue Records

****1/2

Okay all you folks that fear traditional bluegrass music is dying. This is for you! Of all of today’s popular musical genres, no single style remains more enduring than bluegrass. Granted, blues and gospel also take their place among the more archival sounds of America’s heartland, but given its roots in Ireland, England, and Scotland, and its subsequent reinvention in early 20th century Appalachia, bluegrass possesses a rich history that’s always worthy of revisiting. It’s been interesting to watch all the different directions into which bluegrass music has expanded. We now have a sub-genre that incorporates traditional country, one that embraces the high energy and stage zaniness of rock, newgrass, rockgrass, progressive bluegrass, not to mention the new acoustic style that favours jazz-based improvisation, and a merging of old time and bluegrass sounds. The music of Appalachian Roadshow is old-school bluegrass, and with this, their third album, they build on their solidly established reputation as specialists in powerful, unadorned and intense traditional bluegrass music.

Where some groups wear their influences on their collective sleeve, Appalachian Road Show has them entrenched in their DNA and traveling through their bloodstream. Barry Abernathy (banjo; vocals), Darrell Webb (mandolin, vocals), Jim VanCleve (fiddle), Zeb Snyder (guitar) and Todd Phillips (bass), are all Appalachia born-and-bred. They blend their individual talents and distinct voices while using old-time traditions as a general guide, not blinders separating them from more popular influences. Although the group finds continued success on the bluegrass charts, it’s obvious they’re not lax or lethargic when it comes to maintaining their high standards. In essence, that’s key to the band’s success—the ability to meld their ample abilities with melodies that ring and resonate with energy, enthusiasm, and sheer exuberance. Drawing almost exclusively on Appalachia with a deep appreciation for the mountain music of their culture, they mix in some vintage standards with new material that firmly establishes a traditional tapestry. Typical is the title track opener, a new song by Wes Baylis and Jason Cope, this is an old-time murder ballad, which tells of a young girl who ends the life of her unfaithful and unworthy lover. A song some may recall from the Steel Woods, this new arrangement begins as a waltz before moving to a brisk bluegrass pace, despite the song’s depressing subject matter, adding yet another happy-sounding sad song to the bluegrass repertoire.

Won’t Be Long, mid-tempo and very bluesy grasser, showcases Darrell Webb’s agile, country-flavoured voice, has guest claw hammer banjo player Victor Furtado providing the drive on this splendid tune. Me Against the Mountain, New Harmony and Rosalee McFall, are story-like songs that highlight the less celebrated parts of Appalachia’s rural landscape and lifestyle. The latter is one that old timers may remember from Charlie Monroe in the 1940s or a later version by the Grateful Dead. Their instrumental prowess continues to take centre stage, as evidenced by the interplay conveyed in Hell Broke Loose In Georgia and Possum Up A Simmon Tree, a couple of upbeat entries that finds them demonstrating their shared skills and adroit execution. Still being a band that’s well versed in the art of altering tone and texture whenever needed, Virginia Soldier leans towards more tender trappings in this reflective yarn of a country boy doing his duty in some foreign land. This is stark and simple, but hits like a startling gut-punch, painting a sincere and heart-rending character portrait. 

Bluegrass aficionado or not, you absolutely need to hear this album. It’s a varied set but uniting it all is the band’s sharp ear for melody and jubilant explorations, making for some of their strongest work yet.

https://www.theappalachianroadshow.com

December 2025