It’s easy to look at modern life and suggest we’re paying more for less, prices are rising while the service or goods we receive are the same. With Foghorn Stringband, that simply isn’t the case!
With an album listing 19 songs, you would very rightly think you’re getting a lot of ‘bang for your buck’ but with a bunch of unlisted songs added on to the end of the cd, you’re being properly treated.
Now this music isn’t going to be for everybody, it’s bluegrass music at its most traditional and authentic, which is to say the band have cast aside clever production tricks and have made an album which sounds like the band are playing in your very own living room. Each instrument is captured perfectly enabling the listener to hear the individual layer, be it string or vocal.
It’s an interesting line up of instruments Sammy Lind on fiddle and Caleb Klauder on mandolin taking centre stage with Reeb Willms on guitar and Nadine Landry on bass supplying the rhythm. Each member can sing, bringing strong harmonies and also switching lead throughout the album.
Opening track ‘Reuben’s Train’ is a standout and is a true reflection of what this band is about, it’s toe-tapping, thigh-slapping music to dance to and immediately brings about images of hay bales for seats, wooden dance floors under starry skies and cowboy boots, check shirts and Stetsons as far as you can see. It’s difficult not to love the energy and innocence of this music, it’s stories of farming communities, characters and one or two gentle ballads.
If this is right up your street, give them a listen.
