One underlying factor that makes traditional bluegrass so pleasing is its ability to cut right through to the emotional heart of things. While it may seem odd to compare bluegrass to punk, both musics hit the listener in the gut, not the head. The
Wildwood Valley Boys combine this basic old-time approach with new material to produce an album that breathes of living -- not musty -- tradition. The twist here is that certain subject matters -- sex, for instance --are treated a little more forthrightly than
Bill Monroe might have been comfortable with. In Aubrey Holt's fine original "Sweet Loretta," the narrator recalls, "I tasted your love and I knew you were mine." "Making Memories" covers an elicit affair to the sad refrain of Harley Gabbard's Dobro with the lovely line, "We're just making memories to haunt our future lives." These songs, however, must be taken within the context of more conservative material. The album opens with a nifty bit of Americana titled "Jeremiah Callahan's Medicine Show," which is followed by a proud portrait of the working class, "The Spirit of America." Tony Holt is a fine singer and receives great backup from mandolinist David Long, banjoist Wes Vanderpool, and bassist Kevin Kehrberg. The
Wildwood Valley Boys also pay homage to their bluegrass forefathers,
Monroe and
Lester Flatt.
Songs From Wildwood Valley is a finely executed traditional album filled with a number of memorable new songs. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.