Out of the hills and hollers of American music comes Pam Linton’s Songs of the Carter Family, a tribute as heartfelt as a hymn sung at dusk on a country porch. This collection, 15 songs strong, takes us back to a simpler time when a guitar, a voice, and a story were all you needed to fill an evening. Recorded in North Carolina with a mix of reverence for tradition and a gentle nod to modernity, the album invites listeners to sit awhile and remember that music, at its best, is about connection.
Pam Linton knows about connection. She’s spent decades living out of suitcases, singing in church basements, county fairs, and concert halls. Part of the Sherwin Linton Show for more than 30 years, she’s as much a historian as she is a performer, preserving the songs that built the foundation of country and Americana music. But this album feels personal, as if Pam is telling us the stories that matter most to her, in her own voice.
The track list is a who’s who of Carter Family classics. From the bright optimism of “Keep on the Sunnyside” to the haunting beauty of “Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow Tree,” Pam brings a clear, refreshingly traditional voice to each song. “Wildwood Flower” is a standout, the melody winding its way through the verses like a river, carrying us along as Pam honors not just the song’s history but its heart. And “You Better Let That Liar Alone” crackles with a playful energy, the kind of toe-tapper that makes you glad you still own a pair of boots.
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What makes this album shine is Pam’s ability to respect the originals while giving them just a hint of something new. She’s not trying to reinvent the wheel here—thankfully—but she polishes it, lets it roll smoothly. The instrumentation is crisp and rich, with a fiddle and a steady rhythm that feel like home. Recorded with some of the finest musicians North Carolina has to offer, the arrangements nod to the past while staying accessible to a modern audience.
If there’s a quibble to be had, it’s the sheer breadth of the track list. At 15 songs, it’s a long sit, though you’d be hard-pressed to find a weak moment. Perhaps a tighter selection might have made the album even more potent, but then again, who among us would want to choose which child of the Carter legacy to leave out?
This is music that makes you yearn for porch swings and blackberry pie, for church choirs and front-yard fiddle contests. It’s music that reminds us of where we’ve been and hints at where we might be going if we just take the time to listen. Songs of the Carter Family is a labor of love, pure and simple, and Pam Linton delivers it with the kind of sincerity and warmth that has made her a treasure in the world of traditional music. Call it country, bluegrass, Americana, or roots—it’s all the same thing when it’s this good.
Garth Thomas