Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Breath of Fresh Air in the Bluegrass Scene!, February 29, 2008
...contemporary bluegrass is such a fertile field right now, with so many new styles, sounds, and ideas complimenting the timeless and traditional core that underpins the music. But even in such a rich community, these guys stand out. So much so that I hesitate to pigeonhole them as bluegrass at all...this is some sort of stringband country soul -- hillbilly r'n'b or something. I can't put my finger on it, and that's what I love about it.
Most reviewers are quick to point out Chris Stapleton's voice, which is riviting and unusual in an acoustic context: a sandpaper-roughened bluesy belt that never sacrifices the soul of the song in favor of histrionics.
But the whole band is greater than the sum of its already-formidable parts: Tammy Rodgers (remember her great duo album with Don Heffington "In the Red"? Buy it now!) nails the high harmonies and comes up with fiddle breaks that are melodic and organic but still surprising; Mike Henderson (you should buy all his Dead Reckoning albums with the Bluebloods, too) keeps the backbeat sharp with his mandolin and tosses in some great Monroe-ish funky solos; banjo vet Richard Bailey is so tasteful, his licks (smoothly blending melodic and Scruggs styles) always complimenting what is going on and never overwhelming it; and Mike Fleming drives it all with his big bass sound and smooth baritone vocals.
As fine as the musicianship is, this is a song band, and these tracks (mostly by Stapleton and Henderson) are all gems: clear and vivid portraits of heartbreak, struggle, and regret. Some have been cut by country acts (Chris has had two #1 hits in the past year, Henderson and Rodgers have both had big chart success as songwriters), but they are reborn here as stringband stomps and are all the better for it. I hate to pick favorites, but if you really don't have much time, check out "Midnight Train to Memphis," "Heaven Sent," and "East Kentucky Home," the latter a very clever variation (particularly the chord changes) on the vintage bluegrass homesickness theme.
Words ain't enough folks -- plunk down the dough and go for it!
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creative advance for bluegrass revival, January 16, 2008
While I have welcomed the revived enthusiasm for bluegrass in the last few years, I have heard little that moved beyond earnest homage, and few new songs in the genre were memorable. The Steeldrivers mark a creative advance on both counts.
The playing is exceptional -- dead-on and driving while eschewing ostentacious virtuosity. Chris Stapleton's growling, bluesy voice is certainly a departure from bluegrass norms, but an apt complement to the traditional instrumentation. But the songs are what distinguish The Steeldrivers' debut. The lyrics and hooks are fresh and moving, without cliché or pointless noodling.
My only disappointment is Mike Henderson's sublimated role here. He co-wrote eight of the 11 songs, and I have to believe that his powerhouse blues background is largely responsible for this band's distinctive hard-edged sound. But for a musician of his renown, his mandolin licks rarely stand out here. I look for him to step out a little more on The Steeldrivers' next release.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
No-frills, hard drivin' workingman's music , February 28, 2008
I'm not a real big fan of bluegrass but I am a big fan of SteelDriver. Where this group pulls away from the pack is with the focus on songwriting, singing and soul.
Stapleton has written #1 hits for Kenny Chesney and Josh Turner and the band is an assembly of seasoned session musicians from Music City.
Toss all of this together with a raspy, kick-a$$ singer and you get some no-frills, hard drivin' workingman's music at it's best.
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~ Dailey and Vincent
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~ The Bridge
by The Steeldrivers 
