|
Split Lip Rayfield embodies the true spirit of bluegrass music.
Period. The vocal harmonies, the white-hot picking, and the day by
day tales of life that are at the very roots of bluegrass are where
these guys live. But what makes this band so damn unique and so good
is their ability to "punk-up" bluegrass music, both in tempo
and lyrical content. The key element to their success is that while
they pick up the pace at times, it still sounds like real bluegrass!
You could see some guys sitting outside a 7-11 in West Virginia picking
this stuff…except in today's world, these hillbillies have been
sitting around doing bathtub meth for three days.
SLR's fourth full-length record, Should Have Seen It Coming,
opens with "Hundred Dollar Bill", a typical bluegrass lament
of lost love, but updated for today's times: now that she's gone,
"she's looking good as a hundred dollar bill". Pretty standard-sounding
stuff: succinct harmonies and smooth pickin'. Now, track two shows
us where the guys really tear it up. "Truth & Lies"
sounds like a man running with his ass on fire from a meth lab gone
bad. Jeff Eaton thumps the heck out of his one string gas tank
bass to drive the tune along. The other three guys, Wayne Gottstine
(mandolin), Kirk Rundstrom (guitar), and Eric Mardis (banjo)
really set fire to the strings of their instruments either while they're
driving home rhythmic tracks or taking their turns as the lead. Although
this tune barrels along at breakneck speed, it sounds traditional.
In a similar vein is "Redneck Tailgate Dream". This number
draws to mind guys mud-boggin' in the holler with its furious picking
and rhythm. Funny thing is that it's about (presumably) white-suburban
kids wanting to be rednecks. Hell with the moonshine…I'll just
drink gasoline. Other spirited numbers include, "Lonesome Heart",
"Lonely Man Blues", and the title track, all of which showcase
how the gang thoroughly understands the premises of bluegrass. What's
wrong with speeding it up? Nothing!
Although I tend to dwell on the hard-core tunes, we can't forget
that these guys can really put it down in a slower, more "traditional"
vein. Tunes like "Honestly", "Used To Be", "Don't
Believe You're Someone" address love, and its sometimes painful
realities, just as a lot of the great standards do. All of these numbers
hone that solid ground of tradition, from the tempos to the harmonies…it's
textbook. Another lyrical delight is "A Little More Cocaine Please".
In a similar vein as the standards "Good Bunch Of Biscuits"
and "Best Coon Dog In The State Of Tennessee", this song
just tells it like it is and talks about daily life…except the
modern life happens to be about becoming addicted to cocaine instead
of food and dogs. It's just brilliant. This storytelling tradition
continues with ode to the "Union Man"…and we're talking
Civil War here folks, not the AFL-CIO. It's something I'd expect to
see in a period movie of some sort.
Their musicianship is just extraordinary, as you can expect. "Promise
Not To Tell" has one of the sweetest, rolling banjo lines bolstered
by a taut vocal harmony. "Down South Sally" is just a rolling
rapids of inspired strumming and picking. Although I've harped about
their harmonies this whole piece, this one has some of the strongest
voice-melding on the record. As far as pushing the boundaries musically,
check out "Out Of Time". It starts with a very standard
and rollicking progression before shifting beats and keys take over,
giving a stuttering and flatfooting feel. It moves all over the place.
And to top it off, the vocal harmonies also beat that taut minor strain
that keeps this song feeling on the edge.
Split Lip Rayfield have this thing down pat. There is not a damn
thing wrong with this record at all. When I wanna hear some regular
bluegrass, it fits in perfectly. Even the high-octane numbers are
not out of place with a mix of traditional artists. If you ever
get a chance to see these guys live, do it. They tend to keep to
the uppity numbers, and you'll wonder if you should dance a jig
or start slammin'.
-tom topkoff
Track Listing:
1. Hundred Dollar Bill
2. Truth & Lies
3. Honestly
4. Redneck Tailgate Dream
5. Promise Not To Tell
6. A Little More Cocaine Please
7. C'mon Get Your Gun
8. Used To Be
9. Lonely Man Blues
10. Don't Believe That You're Someone
11. Down South Sally
12. Should Have Seen It Coming
13. Out Of Time
14. Union Man
15. Lonesome Heart
16. Just Like A Gillian Welch Song
Check out more
reviews
 Talk
Back
e-mail the chief
Like this article?
e-mail
it to a friend!
|
Split
Lip Rayfield
