Self-released 

***1/2 

Isn’t there something encouraging and hopeful about a group of young people making music that seems genuinely authentic? Life for the Trakimowicz family from Wilmington, North Carolina has probably never been what one might call normal. They have chosen to walk the path less travelled in all areas of life and Dear MariBella & the Pigkickers’ second studio album release, is the musical culmination of their journey thus far. Beginning as a duo comprising sisters Isabella (fiddle, vocals) and AnnMari (guitar, lead vocals), they expanded to the full family bluegrass band four years ago with younger brothers Pete (banjo, vocals) and Christopher (mandolin, vocals), and co-opting a kind of reluctant dad, Joe, to join them on upright bass. A true family affair with the kids playing all of the instruments and sharing writing credits on the originals while dad joins in on bass and mom handles the bookings. This is a wonderful introduction to traditional bluegrass stylings from a group of well-defined pickers and singers. It’s a great example of how the sibling-dynamic can play a role within the making of really great music. But this album is about far more than well-crafted songs. The instrumentation by the kids is solid and clean throughout. With a repertoire including renditions of classics from Bob Wills, Jimmie Rodgers, Darrel Scott and Scotland’s McPeake Family, as well as interpretations of their own contemporary songs in an archetypal style, they take the old and make it new, while taking the new and rendering it timeless, and that should galvanise long-time bluegrass fans and engage new generations in a rich tradition. 

Songs such as Muleskinner Blues and Ida Red have been played by numerous different artists over the years, but they present them with a freshness that makes the songs sound new again. Ida Red is moved along by Pete’s driving banjo and Chris’ gypsy jazz-inflected mandolin with fiddle, acoustic guitar and superb vocal harmonies added into the mix. A dynamic swinging groove that leaves no doubt about the youngsters having happy hands, and happy voices. However, if there’s still any doubt as to their intents, their astute take on the seminal standard,  Muleskinner Blues, shows they’re equally at home playing off an even more traditional template. The driving, hard-edged rendition not only showcases superb all-round instrumental picking, but also turns the spotlight on AnnMari’s powerful vocal, easily matching Dolly Parton’s version that I recall from many years ago. I was also impressed by the fresh, creative arrangement of Wild Mountain Thyme. Chris’ bagpipes are a colourful addition, while the up-tempo rhythm showcases each member’s individual talents amid its harmonic twists and turns, to infuse the piece with a new bluegrass vibe. 

Original songs like Cold Shoulder Blues, It Will Be and January Snow are especially impressive and sound as if they were hewn from back porch melodies and then rebooted with the honesty and integrity they so deserve. Sin Eater, based on a 17th-century Welsh tradition of a person hired to eat the sins of the dead, is another fine example of their inventive songwriting skills. An up-tempo grasser, this is a happy-sounding bluegrass number with dark undertones but optimistically finds a way out for the poor Sin Eater. The instrumental jam Slap Dash Breakdown owes its approach to Flatt & Scruggs, Jim & Jesse and other influential players and pickers. An impressive display of these youngsters’ multi-instrumental talent, it’s a hard driving grasser, full of fire and energy, that showcases just how much young bluegrass talent there is these days. RED GOES WITH EVERYTHING shares an astute combination of sturdy standards and impressive originals, which fit together seamlessly. It’s fair to say that Dear MariBella & the Pigkickers have the skill and savvy to rise to the top of today’s populist bluegrass plateau. 

 https://dearmaribella.com 

 August 2026