Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Country | Heft: Jahrgang 2014, eclipsed Nr. 159 / 4-2014 | VÖ-Jahr: 2014 | Wertung: 8/10 | Label: Black Bear | Autor: WS
Jack Kerouac gave the band from New Jersey their name (Shortstory: "October in the Railroad Earth"). Whether he would have liked their bluegrass driven sound with mandolins, banjo, violin and accordion is not known. In any case, the band's seventh album feeds on much more styles than just traditional bluegrass, so one can speak of Americana folk. After the traditional good mood introduction "Chasin' A Rainbow", the six-minute title track will be a great narrative terrain. As in a good soundtrack, piano, violins, cello and guitars artistically entwine with each other to create an atmospheric carpet of sound. "All That's Dead May Live Again" is a five-part suite that starts with Penny Whistle in Celtic, then performs a mini-string opera à la pieces by the Penguin Café Orchestra, plays strings against brass, and finally transforms everything into the next rockier two-part song "Face With A Hole". Even if by other means, this 21-minute suite is Progressive Folk at its best.
Top track: All That's Dead May Live/Face With A Hole
