Foghorn Stringband

Traditionalists Foghorn Stringband make no bones about being old timey. Some of the tunes on their new disc are close to 300 years old, while the recording technique is right out of the pre-war bluegrass production book. Weiser Sunrise, referring to the Idaho fiddle championship where the band met, is a boon for bluegrass lovers. With mandolin and fiddle racing through melodies in unison and stand up bass, banjo and guitar churning out floor board lifting rhythms; the album is as live as listening to the band in your living room. Recorded analogue with no overdubs the songs at times have a Smithsonian compilation feel — in other words it’s a lot closer to the earth than, say, an Alison Krauss record. The vocals on the record are telling — sung live into the same mics picking up the instruments songs like "My Father Has a House” and "Short Life of Trouble” feel like the work of a band instead of musicians backing up a vocalist. Incorporating square dances, vaudeville pop, ballads, songs of redemption, and lover’s laments, Weiser Sunrise is a fine addition to any serious bluegrass and stringband collection.