“Pass Along The Good” is the wonderful new track from Gary Brewer & The Kentucky Ramblers, featuring Jim Lauderdale. A hybrid of bluegrass and Americana, “Pass Along The Good” has at its core the values and the yearnings we’ve all come to love from the great American songbook. But this song is more about labels and genres. “Pass Along The Good” is about being grateful, joy and paying it forward. Throwing off shades of amber, golds and Autumn nights, the family band, along with Lauderdale, cast a rousing array of from-another-time tones.
URL: https://www.brewgrass.com/
Proving they can also kick up the temperature a notch, the band and this song is nestled into a song that moves just the right amount. You never feel like you’re headbanging on the dance floor or your partner spins you too quickly with this song, but it does call for some dancing boots. In a world that now includes The Dead South and The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Gary Brewer & The Kentucky Ramblers continue to carve out a unique sound that swells the best parts of bluegrass and the styles of country-roots. “Pass Along The Good” doesn’t bombast the listeners – it’s a groove that feels more wholesome and genuine.
It’s also quite entertaining. The lyrics stay to the script and encourage the listener to pass along what is good because there’s enough to go around. I felt like at times this could even be a Christian song, but in reality, it’s just a nice manners song. It’s great, or should I say, it’s a good thing. I loved the way the guitars melt together and the steel guitar (or steel pedal) has that audacious sound. I’ve always found that sound to be very southern, country western. I felt like in this case, it reminded me of a town bell. Remember those? When the workday was over, the town bell or siren rang. It’s a faint, jarring ping, but the steel guitar really makes the song even more so alive than it already does.
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/co/album/pass-along-the-good-feat-jim-lauderdale-single/1606455651?l=en
The percussion beat creates a bit more of a laid back vibe. I felt like this song, and maybe it’s because they have the word Kentucky in their band name, just has this feeling of mountains and Mother Nature. You feel like you’re outside and breathing it all in – the fresh air, or a campfire. I could definitely see someone playing this song at a campfire, sitting for a spell. Or two. “Pass Along The Good” also feels like it would be the perfect song to hear on an early-Autumn night at an amphitheater. I can just imagine the blanket of stars in the sky, twinkling like the neck of the guitar. The vocals are so mesmerizing and so engaging – there’s a definite comfort and feeling that this song can be passed down from generations. Listening to it via my computer, well, it just doesn’t do it justice. This song is ready for the masses and needs to be heard live and loud. Sign me up – I’m ready to see these guys and be a part of that live goodness.
Garth Thomas