Featuring five members in banjo player James Dean, bassist Joseph Jones, mandolin player Dustin Middleton, guitarist Andy Buckner and fiddle/dobro player Justin Moses, Cumberland River is a band that is firmly rooted in Bluegrass traditions but also is at home with ‘newer’ sounds that are drawn from traditional country and folk a la The Grascals, The Steep Canyon Rangers and Lonesome River Band. Dean, Middleton and Buckner each take turns on lead vocals and all three are strong singers.
The Life We Live leads off with a strong song about the coal minin’ “Harlan Man” while “Cold And Withered Heart” tells a story about a broken heart while the touching “Outside Looking In” sounds like it could be at home on a number of country records from Gene Watson to Steve Wariner to Marty Raybon to Ricky Skaggs.
“Justified” is a song that was written for a performance in front of the producers of the Harlan County (and greater Kentucky) centered FX series “Justified” and earned the band a standing ovation. The song ended up being featured in the fourth season episode of the show and while the song discusses stuff from the show, it’s a damn good song with a percussive beat and melody.
“Mary Flynn” is a fantastic and haunting story song about a tragic death of a woman who then haunts the area she passed away at. Dale Ann Bradley (who has her own fantastic record coming out later this month) provides Krauss-like harmony on the song. “Remember Me” is a tragic murder ballad that seems to only be sung about in Bluegrass these days and is definitely one of the highlights of The Life We Live.
Ably produced by Steve Gulley, The Life We Live is as strong a Bluegrass recording as you’re likely to hear in 2011. If you like bluegrass or roots music, you need to take some time and give The Live We Live a listen.
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