Brand New Strings
No Strings Attached
Rural Rhythm Records
3.5 stars (out of 5)
Made up of five East Tennessee musicians who have spent some time sharpening their chops in other bands, Brand New Strings debuts as a unit with a 13-track, 36-minute disc—attractively packaged to resemble a packet of instrument strings—that’s sure to please the traditional bluegrass crowd while reaching out to fans of more contemporary sounds with some strong original songs.
Randall Massengill (lead guitar, lead and harmony vocals), Mike Ramsey (mandolin, lead and harmony vocals), Tim Tipton (bass), Stuart Wyrick (banjo) and Matt Leadbetter (resophonic guitar) work remarkably well as a unit, both instrumentally and vocally, for a band that’s been together for just several months. Maddeningly, though, neither the disc’s liner notes nor the band’s Web site make it possible to tell who sings what parts on which song, a shame since there are some particularly nice lead and harmony performances on this one.
“Merry Go Round” is a nice driving opener followed by the honky-tonk-flavored “Rainy Nights and Memories,” which in turn gives way to “Law of the Land,” a mountain man song of the type with which we are all familiar.
The Garm Parsons/Chris Hillman co-write gets a nice, breezy treatment, while the McCoury-esque “The Blues Club” positively simmers.
“High on a Hilltop,” “I Feel the Same Way Too” and “The First Date” are mid-tempo country numbers that show off the band’s skillful vocal arrangements. Massengill’s “Prayer from Home” explores singer-songwriter territory with some success.
No Strings Attached also contains four exceptional gospel numbers—”Caught Up,” “Living Water,” “When My Feet Touch the Street of Gold” and “Who Am I”—that look to be original to the band and that lift this project above most of the rest of the pack.
If this group stays together, they promise to be a favorite of deejays and festival fans for years to come.
by Aaron Keith Harris
