Two High String Band Reviewed

Two High String Band

Insofarasmuch (Blue Corn) Acoustic music takes a lot of forms these days. There's revved-up breakneck bluegrass (Split Lip Rayfield, R.I.P.), Django-style swing (David Grisman), virtuosic neo-jam-band excursions (Nickel Creek), and traditional bluegrass from down in the holler and up on the mountain. In other words, it's not confined to any one format anymore, and Austin's Two High String Band manages to cover a lot of those bases on their debut. Indeed, Grisman himself shows up for "Sonny's Ride" and "Dang, Howdy!," as does Vassar Clements, who puts in an appearance on a couple of songs. And rest assured, they're in good company with the 2HS players. Billy Bright and Brian Smith both sing ably without ever sounding like slaves to Bill Monroe and with more than a touch of dry humor ("You Can't Run Away From Your Feet"). The title track has a lazy sort of country groove and a strong, flat-picked guitar riff throughout, while the minor-key instrumental "All Day" veers into Nickel Creek's jazzy territory. "Somewhere Between" features bass player Bryn Bright on harmony vocals, plus a heartbreaking fiddle solo by Clements, but lands closer to George & Tammy than Lester 'n' Earl. Nicely recorded, honest without sounding too polished, 2HS can't really be called bluegrass in the strictest sense. What exactly do you call what they're doing? Hard to say, but they're pretty darn good at it whatever it is.