IV

Chatham County Line | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: March 4, 2008
• Label: Yep Roc Records
• Copyright: 2008 Chatham County Line
• Total Length: 46:13
• Genres:
• ASIN: B0014ZL3DI
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,619 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Confident new traditionalists following their own muse, May 8, 2008

By 

J. Ross "a-music_fan" (Roseburg, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: IV (Audio CD)

Playing Time - 46:12 -- With three other albums under their belts since 2003, Chatham County Line calls "IV" a "coming out party" because they no longer feel constrained to a certain niche by bluegrass instrumentation. They are a young, enthusiastic band that has grown and progressed into a signature acoustic groove. On their first few albums, these North Carolinians grabbed attention with a refreshing bluegrass-tinged sound anchored around guitarist Dave Wilson's emotive lead vocals and prolific songwriting. Strong and energetic contemporary folk-inspired material have always permeated their projects. "IV" takes them even further on an intriguing journey into Americana territory, and it's a solid statement for a young quartet that's also been fortunate to maintain its same four personnel for years. Besides Wilson, CCL continues to also feature John Teer (fiddle, mandolin, viola), Chandler Holt (banjo, guitar), and Greg Readling (bass, pedal steel, piano).

"IV" takes the band beyond a mere modernistic interpretation of bluegrass. The opener, "Chip of a Star" is clearly arranged as radio-friendly commercial fare with its repetitive banjo riff. Songs like "County Boy/City Boy" illustrate the dichotomy of the band's contemporary folk-rock urban approach overlaid with some bluegrass sensibilities. When I first heard "Let It Rock" and "I Got Worry," it even crossed my mind that these boys might be enticed into a full plunge into electric music with a drummer. Perhaps a plugged-in CCL album will be their next stop on their evolving path. In the meantime, balladry is still a large part of their bag with numbers like "The Carolinian," "Sweet Eviction," "One More Minute," and "Birmingham Jail." One of the three numbers penned by Holt, "Clear Blue Sky" is an instrumental showcase for the band's clarion bluegrass chops. And then there's Teer's "Paige," a classically inspired mandolin tune that emphasizes timing, tone and technique. I respect all confident new traditionalists who follow their own muse. I know CCL's vibrant and unrestrained genre-bending sound will continue building them a legion of fans. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now, 29 Palms, CA)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Original Carolina Piedmont Bluegrass, December 12, 2011

By 

H. Pace (-) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: IV (Audio CD)

IV has a little bit of everything. There is song storytelling at its best (Birmingham Jail), wistfulness at separation from a lover (The Carolinian, One More Minute), and an instrumental piece (Paige). The Carolinian, for one, I can listen to over and over again. It takes a very specific type of feeling, longing-over-a-woman-with-whom-you-experienced-love-at-first-sight-but-after-that-sight-never-saw-again-and-based-on-that-one-perfect-moment-you-feel-an-enduring-longing-for-and-regret-about-what-might-have-been, and expresses it perfectly and beautifully. It's these sorts of ballads that Chatham County Line does best. The weaker tracks are those that veer away from this strength.

Thankfully, Chatham County Line departs from the conventional bluegrass reliance on the banjo. We instead get treated to heavy doses of guitar, mandolin, and string bass (but sadly not the fiddle). Paige shows some serious skills on the mandolin.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great bluegrass-indie crossover set, March 16, 2008

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: IV (Audio CD)

North Carolina's up-and-coming Chatham County Line is a remarkably innovative band, moving from strength to strength until they arrive someplace entirely new. So here we are, on their fourth album, "IV," which is an alluring bluegrass-newgrass album that crosses over in ways that seem fresh and entirely new... Several songs have pop-tinged arrangements that are surprisingly unique, with sound combinations that I simply haven't heard yet from the decades-old "progressive bluegrass" scene... The results are exhilarating and enchanting. "Chip Of A Star," "The Carolina," "One More Minute..." The album unfolds with one memorable song after another, an admirably diverse and adventurous set. Striking a fine balance between tradition and innovation, CCL have an affinity for the indie-rock camp, but whereas a banjo lick or pedal steel dropped into a rock record has become commonplace, a truegrass band that has a truly alt-y sensibility is a more precious thing altogether. These folks elegantly straddle the line, and while I'll be enjoying this album for quite a while, I'm also looking forward to what comes next. Definitely worth checking out! (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue music reviews)