The Weary Boys
Holy Ghost Power
The photos accompanying Good Times, the previous Weary Boys disc, were a weird amalgam of guns, young girls, and tractors. With Holy Ghost Power, the local outfit has turned to the Lord. Bluegrass has long held opinions on the dichotomy between Saturday night and Sunday morning coming down, so the Boys are just following tradition, and it sure is fun seeing them outfitted in suits under a church steeple after all the hell-raising they’ve been through. Happily, the music is mostly in line with their past, all but three tracks cut live in a church in North Carolina. The Wearys remain rough around the edges, which is, of course, their appeal. They sprinkle in some surprisingly convincing originals (most notably Mario Matteoli’s “Only Jesus”), with songs from Hank Williams, the Carter Family, the Stanley Brothers, Townes Van Zandt (an inspired take of “Two Hands”), and Flatt & Scruggs. The result is less punk than their past LPs and live shows, but their harmonies have never been clearer, and the sincerity shining brightly throughout Holy Ghost Power unveils a new side to the outfit. In all likelihood, it’s probably just the case that after a goodly number of years together, the Weary Boys have honed their talents in such a way that they can be successful no matter what they tackle. Holy Ghost Power is proof.
This article appears in February 4 • 2005.