The Grascals continue enjoying and deserving a rare level of visibility for a modern bluegrass act. In the two decades since their 2004 formation, the sextet has performed and shared stages with marquee names such as Hank Williams Jr., Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, George Jones, Dierks Bentley, and Eric Church. There are others. It reflects their standing and esteem that the band is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a new album entitled, simply, 20. The album’s thirteen songs blend originals with classics, some seldom recognized. It likewise touches on the band’s distant past while living in the present and looking towards the future.
They ransack famed duo Boudleaux and Felice Bryant’s songwriting catalog and open 20 on a memorable note. “Tennessee Hound Dog,” popularized by legendary sibling act The Osborne Brothers, blasts off from the outset. The Grascals demonstrate their enduring instrumental proficiency by mastering the track’s breakneck pace. Bryant’s rich lyric plays its subject for laughs, without question, but the concrete details rife throughout the track amplify its humor and make for a vivid listening experience.
The Gracals slow down considerably for “Coal Dust Kisses”. These aren’t self-consciously rural songs; there’s no sense that the band sat around and said, hey, we need a song about coal miners. They sketch out the central character with such empathy, reinforced by a sensitively rendered lead vocal, that it’s convincing from the first. You can’t fake it, but if this review is wrong, and you can, The Grascals are even greater artists than we imagine.
Reliable bluegrass tropes abound. The nuanced yet never emptily clever instrumental interplay between the assembled players, flawless multi-part harmonies, and a sinewy approach to songwriting. “Coal Dust Kisses” aches with humanity and doesn’t waste a syllable or note. The Grascals serve up some workingman’s blues with “Some People Make It”. The lyrics adopt the typical three-line verse of the blues form without ever allowing the arrangement to drift far outside their wheelhouse. Timeless material like this will never date and plays a major role in The Grascals’ staying power.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/20-Grascals/dp/B0DDC6TGLW
“Reflection” blends bluegrass trappings with folky singer/songwriter influences and a smattering of pop sensibilities. Outstanding vocals and evocative lyrics are strengths, but the cut is equally an instrumental showcase. The band invokes the sensation of gliding down enormous, wide-open vistas with effortless skill. The second Felice and Boudleaux Bryant track, “Georgia Pineywoods”, is another daredevil supersonic bluegrass romp despite its pastoral subject matter. It’s immensely satisfying to hear how adept The Grascals are at effortlessly shifting styles.
“The First Step” is a pure classic country weeper re-envisioned as bluegrass. The Grascals develop the song in a measured, patient way that realizes its piercing emotional possibilities. Plain-spoken language is another factor in the song’s success, and the band wisely lets the songwriting speak for itself rather than dress it with unnecessary gimmickry. Stephen McWhirter’s “Come Jesus Come” provides an excellent final curtain. The same measured and patient spirit moving the aforementioned track is evident during the finale. Each band member invests great care into the performance that never neuters its power but, instead, surrounds the recording with near-hushed reverence. It’s a settled and pleasing closer to an album that befits the moment. The Grascals’ 20 portrays their greatest virtues and primes them for another twenty years.
Garth Thomas