Compass Records

****1/2

Founder member of the Steep Canyon Rangers, Woody Platt is truly an old-school bluegrass troubadour. Tiring of the road, he left the band to spend more time at home with his family in his beloved Brevard, North Carolina, where he holds down a full-time position in real estate. Woody has always had the voice for bluegrass. One of the best things to happen to bluegrass music in the last twenty years, the pull of the music remains very much intact, as he continues to be heavily involved in the co-founded Blue Ridge Music Camps, as well as the Mountain Song Festival in an effort to help others to learn to play the music that he loves. Now with his first solo album, he once again illustrates his overflowing creativity, his genius at matching melody and harmony with lyrics, and his ceaseless curiosity in exploring diverse musical styles within the bluegrass tradition. A musician of many parts, this ten-song set is the evidence that solo artist is far from the least of them. He plays with authority and sings with conviction, but more importantly, he has surrounded himself with crack supporting singers and musicians to create a seamless blend of bluegrass, both old-time, traditional and contemporary, with more than a hint of country and more. Superbly produced and arranged, there’s not a weak track. And, man, what a voice. If this album is any indication, Woody Platt is skillfully ploughing a most fertile field.

As a result, the music mostly comes across as instantly accessible, as with the effusive opener, Like The Rain Does, a snappy bluegrass number, knitted together by Woody’s smooth baritone lead vocal and always-stellar picking, especially from Rob McCoury on banjo and Jason Carter on fiddle. A winner straight out of the gate. Toe The Line, written by Barrett Davis and Josh Carter, features the iconic harmony vocals of Tim O’Brien. The song explores the underlying theme of a wandering spirit and the rural to urban transition tempered by the pull of home, that is ever present in the bluegrass story. It’s a bumpy ride, driven by Bennett Sullivan’s banjo and Casey Driessen’s fiddle, underpinned by Barry Bales’ solid bass, but there’s no one other than Woody you’d want in the driver’s seat. There are more high-profile collaborations to be found here. Del McCoury joins in for a powerful vocal duet on a revival of Blind McTell’s Broken Down Engine. Their paired voices are the perfect vehicle for this blues-tinged song.

A notably intense Kings of Leon cover, A Beautiful War, features Darrell Scott on tenor harmony and Weissenborn guitar to provide a change of pace. If you close your eyes, you might think you’re listening to an outtake by Alan Jackson from his underrated LIKE RED ON A ROSE album, with Woody singing in a brighter tone. There’s a more traditional bluegrass flavour to Long Time Coming, with fine interplay between mandolin, banjo, guitar and fiddle; this music is refined and honorably cool. The lively bluegrass march-along on the self-penned Walk Along With Me, which closes the album, is driven by emotive mandolin picking, as well as a determined vocal, that creates quite an impact leading to a desire to press that repeat button. All in all, one of the finest bluegrass albums to come my way this year.

www.woodyplatt.com

October 2024