Pedalhorse

In some ways, Hanuman's work begins where mandolinist David Grisman's leaves off. Though the band seems to take a less scholarly angle to the exploration of acoustic sounds than Grisman, they have a keen ear for genre games and are more apt (and willing) to approach things with a loose attitude. The music on Pedalhorse, then, is less tightly wound and feels nicely flexible. Though the band makes a few missteps (notably "Tige's Funk," which makes the time-honored newgrass mistake of adding drums behind an acoustic band), their sense of dynamics is nicely preserved. Songs such as the Middle-Eastern sounding "Pushkar" and the sunsetty "Savannah" retain a warmth and intimacy that feels quite comfortable.