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CD Review
“Faces” by Blueground Undergrass
Rating: Four stars
It might no longer be October, but that doesn’t mean that an album can’t be scary. Scary good, that is! “Faces,” the latest album from Atlanta-based Blueground Undergrass, combines talented fiddle playing and catchy lyrics to create the kind of bluegrass that makes you smile and bob your head as you drive down the road.
At times it even crosses the border into country, but it’s good country — not the kind that talks about cheating on your wife by having an affair with your John Deere tractor.
For example, the band does a brilliant cover of a classic Jerry Garcia song, “Black Muddy River,” and they play it so well, that you can’t even tell they didn’t write it themselves.
Garcia, for those of who don’t know, was the big, fat, bearded guy who played lead guitarist and sang for the ultimate hippy band, the Grateful Dead.
Blueground Undergrass also score major points by featuring a couple of big name guests on the album too, including Col. Bruce Hampton (of the Aquarium Rescue Unit) and Jimmy Herring (of the Allman Brothers Band).
What really makes this disc shine aren’t the lyrics — which while clever, can be overly trite at times — but rather the musicianship. The excellent banjo pickin’ of Jeff Mozier, combined with some serious acoustic guitar solos courtesy of Matthew Williams, blends well with David Blackmon’s complex fiddle solos.
And if you listen closely, you can even hear some slide guitar sneaking out of the shadows, and maybe even some vocal harmonics that sound almost Grateful Dead-esque. Blueground Undergrass creates a wall of sound that’s hard to resist.
Unfortunately, you won’t find the CD in retail stores. They’re strictly a local band and you can only get their music online at places like Amazon.com or at one of their shows. But if you do happen to catch them playing at Smith’s Olde Bar (where they are regulars) in midtown Atlanta, be sure to stick around and have a listen. They’re absolutely worth it.
By Barry Langer / VOX Staff
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