Hillbilly Soul

More a collective of likeminded musicians than an established band, this nine-piece Wes Freed-led project paved the way for his similar work with the Shiners. As the album title suggests, this is predominantly traditional bluegrass, jug band, and roots country shot full of soul and stripped down to its unplugged basics. Blues is an influence too, with the nasty slide guitar spotlighted in "Little Only," the most Delta-styled track here. Guitars, mandolins, and fiddles dominate the approach, augmented by banjo, spoons, and (most interestingly) Jimmy Garthoff's trombone, which makes infrequent but significant appearances throughout. The sound careens between twangy, offbeat covers of blues classics like Willie Dixon's "Violent Love" and Jimmy Liggins' "Drunk" to the rollicking rockabilly of "Little Devils" and the hillbilly gospel of "Jordan Is a Hard Road to Travel." It's all a little cracked, wobbly to the point of shambling, and teetering on the verge of collapse, which it never does thanks to the undeniable talent of the players. This is similar to Michael Hurley's music, at least in its unpredictable scruffiness, so the mention of his name in the credits under "special thanks" isn't surprising. Freed's keening vocals and songs about drinkin', wimmin, and truck drivers tie the loose ends together on a promising debut.