A couple months back my friend and cohort Chris messaged me and started raving about this new band he had heard called The Steeldrivers. Him not being one usually to go on a tangent about a group, it peaked my interest, especially when I was informed that they were a bluegrass driven band he likened to one of my current favorites, Old Crow Medicine Show. In my younger days I would have cringed and fled simply at the label country, let alone bluegrass, but over the last 20 years or so I have come to the realization that the label country just sucks. The bands that are lumped into that category are just as diverse as the one in the heavy metal genre. I tend to think of artists like OCMS, The Steeldrivers, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and even Bob Dylan and Neil Young to be more of what should be referred to as American Folk music...not lumped in with the inane yeehawing of Toby Keith and the plethora of other atrocities that fill up the CMT lineup on a daily basis.
For those of you that are not familiar with The Steeldrivers, they are among some of the ELITE among Nashville's session musicians. The group is comprised of Michael Henderson on mandolin, Tammy Rogers on fiddle and vocals, Richard Bailey on Banjo, Chris Stapleton on guitar and vocals with Mike Fleming holding down the bottom end and contributing on vocals. Each one of them seperately has had a Grammy nod in the past and well deserved I must say.
For “The Steeldrivers” project, Michael Henderson and lead vocalist Chris Stapleton teamed up to write eight of the 11 tracks and Stapleton had a hand in co-writing the remaining three tracks. The songwriting is superb throughout the CD. Henderson has never been one to pander to the Nashville establishment in hopes of finding commercial success and his songwriting here with Stapleton continues to mine that same vein of integrity…music for only music’s sake.
It’s something new, different and exciting for bluegrass. It’s continually shifting gears, musically speaking, without ever losing continuity from song to song.The influences on the album are varied, fresh and full of energy and run the gamut from traditional bluegrass, blues, country, soul and rock. Be forewarned that this isn’t a straight-up traditional album, though it has enough songs in that vein that should appease all but the staunchest die-hard traditionalists. It’s also not a “newgrass” album by any stretch of the imagination.
Vocally speaking, Chris Stapleton sings right up there with the best in the business on the traditional sounding songs. Stapleton ups the ante on a couple of the more genre bending numbers, singing like a man possessed - oozing pure unadulterated, raw, uncontrolled emotion and intensity.
Tammy Rogers and Mike Fleming’s harmony vocals on the record make for some of the most exciting and expressive backup vocals I’ve heard in a while. On some songs, they’re in such sync with Stapleton, matching him nuance for nuance.
Rogers’ fiddle work, featured throughout the record, demonstrates why she’s such an in-demand session player in Nashville. While she has a firm grasp on the bluegrass bag of tricks, she also has plenty of other influences to draw upon and manages to inject some new sounds and direction to the fiddle and it’s role in the genre’s standard instrumentation.
Live vid of the band doing, "Blue Side Of The Mountain"
Richard Bailey’s banjo playing on the album is a lesson any aspiring banjo player should take note of. Bailey knows how to pick his spots, often playing the role of the great minimalist in support of the groove and the song. No need for a flurry of notes when three or four will get the job done to greater effect.
To try and point out standout tracks on this album is a hard thing to do as a result of every song being "The song". But if I had to be cornered on it, I would say "Blue Side Of The Mountain", "Heaven Sent", "Midnight Train To Memphis", "If It hadn't Been for love", "Hear The Willow Cry" and my personal favorite, the heart wrenching "Sticks That Made Thunder".
The common theme through out “The Steeldrivers” album is “The Song.” It’s as simple as: Write a great song. Arrange the instrumentation to put the song front and center. Add some stellar musicians who understand how to stay out of the song’s way. Add some influences not usually found in the genre. Record it live. Sit back and enjoy the magic.
Artist: The Steeldrivers
Album: Self Titled
Genre: American Folk/Bluegrass
Website:www.steeldrivers.net
Rating: 5 stars
Download:Here
By Bez
2 Peaple Showed Us Love:
We were fortunate to see the SteelDrivers live last weekend in Northern Michigan. You can tell they are all about the music. Every aspect of their music is top notch and every song on their album should be a hit. A week later I still can't get the songs out of my head.
If only bluegrass received the same recognition bestowed on top country bands that aren't half as talented. I wish the SteelDrivers lots of success as they really deserve it.
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