Tim O'brien Band

Reviewed: 2019-05-24
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: With more than 30 albums under his belt, collected under a panoply of different bands and projects, it’s not as if there’s anything more to prove in the bluegrass world, as far as Tim O’Brien is concerned. He returns to us now with the first offering from a project both technically new and comfortingly familiar: he’s crafted a shared collection of songs that benefit less from sonic exploration and more from air-tight execution.
If You Like: Earl Scruggs, Abigail Washburn, Jethro Burns, Vassar Clements
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Diggin’ My Potatoes (4:19) – guitar starts> uptempo bluegrass song> fiddle solo> uptempo song> instrumental break> uptempo song> banjo solo> uptempo song> fade
2/ Drunkard’s Walk (3:02) – mandolin starts> midtempo song> mandolin solo> midtempo song> quick fade
3/ Doney Gal (2:59) – guitar starts> slow song> fiddle solo> slow song> fade
**4/ Hop Down Reel/ Johnny Doherty’s Reel (2:55) – fiddle starts> uptempo jam> fiddle solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
*5/ The Other Woman (2:58) – guitar starts> uptempo song> fade
***6/ Beyond (2:55) – guitar/banjo starts> uptempo song with soaring vocals> banjo/fiddle duet> uptempo song> crescendo vocal end
7/ My Love Lies In The Ground (3:12) – fiddle/banjo starts> uptempo song> banjo solo> fiddle solo> uptempo song> quick fade
8/ Pastures Of Plenty (2:53) – banjo starts> uptempo bluegrass song> guitar solo> uptempo song> banjo solo to quick stop
9/ Wind (3:34) – fiddle starts> midtempo song> fiddle solo> instrumental break> midtempo song> quick fade
**10/ La Gringa Renee (4:29) – acapella vocal starts> slow jam increases in tempo & slows several times> slow fade on vocal
*11/ Amazing Love (2:55) – mandolin starts> uptempo song> mandolin solo> uptempo song> quick fade
12/ Last Train From Poor Valley (4:57) – guitar starts> slow jam> midtempo song> fiddle solo> midtempo song> fade
*13/ Crooked Road (3:22) – banjo starts> uptempo bluegrass song> banjo solo> fiddle solo> uptempo song> quick fade