Pouring old wine into new bottles, as an ongoing musical concern, isn’t as easy as it sounds. This is especially true when we’re discussing genres such as bluegrass. Bluegrass’ stylistic kingdom, like other territories of Americana, is relatively narrow; there’s only so much you can do before you aren’t playing bluegrass anymore. You’re doing something else.
URL: https://rockheartsbluegrass.com/
Inventive bands seize upon hybridization. This means they pick their shots with material that can handle bluegrass inclinations. Their confident affinity for interpreting songs through a bluegrass sensibility should appeal to hardcore aficionados of the style, as well as casual listeners. Rock Hearts fits this bill. Five-star instrumental talents propel the New England band’s new release Unfinished Bridges, and the album’s thirteen tracks spotlight their ingenuity and loyalty to the genre.
Their stylistic range is deceptive. Anyone who hears these thirteen songs will notice how some of Unfinished Bridges‘ songwriting utilizes pop song structures. It isn’t omnipresent, but Rock Hearts make it known from the start that they aren’t self-appointed keepers of any flame. They tweak bluegrass convention without losing sight of its strengths or venturing far outside its wheelhouse.
They open the album with its title song. “Unfinished Bridges” is an excellent example of the aforementioned thoughts in action. Rock Hearts dresses this up as a dyed-in-the-wool bluegrass tune, and it works, but it isn’t a stretch hearing this in myriad forms. Rock Hearts broadens the appeal of bluegrass with this move because it deemphasizes the regional and tailors its sound for a mainstream audience. It sounds like a polished recording without ever sounding fake. Instead, “Unfinished Bridges” has an exciting live sound that carries over to other tracks.
“I Know It’s Wrong to Love You” is one of the pinnacle moments during Unfinished Bridges’ first half. Bluegrass trappings remain, but much of the track’s creative direction points towards a retro-country vibe. It elicits one of the album’s best all-around vocals from Rock Hearts’ singing talents and benefits from superb construction. The brief instrumental “Town Hall Clock” summons up the bustle and comparative simplicity of small-town life without any added bells and whistles. The band’s mastery of the bluegrass style creates a bit of unintended flash as Rock Hearts blaze through this performance with supreme confidence.
PURCHASE LINK: https://rockheartsbluegrass.com/album/2134637/unfinished-bridges
The songwriting zenith on the release arguably arrives with “Tall Stands of Timber”. Pastoral imagery abounds throughout Rick Lang and Theodore Chase DeMille’s lyrics, deft characterizations captured with succinct brush strokes, and payoffs galore await attentive listeners. The tempo is brisk but never hurried. “On My Mind” has a slightly ramshackle swing that exudes bluesy energy from the beginning. The loose nature of this ensemble performance couldn’t be pulled off by everyone; there’s an aura of spontaneity surrounding this cut that few listeners will disdain.
“Let Me Be the Best Bible” is the second of two Alex MacLeod contributions. The band’s guitarist contributions pack the most wallop in this instance. It’s an emphatic plea for the strength to embody the Bible’s teachings, to “walk it like I talk it”, and the arrangement’s soft sway reflects that gentle yet unyielding desire. The finale “I Hardly Never Ever Think of You” mines the same classic country vein as the earlier “I Know It’s Wrong to Love You”, but in a more humorous light. However, there is poignancy in this song, and its occasional stinging effect balances out well against its sarcastic comedy. It concludes what undoubtedly ranks as one of the year’s best bluegrass releases.
Kim Muncie
