One of the best modern bluegrass quartets is back with a collection of songs that finds them moving back in a darker direction. They move back in the direction of Murder Ballads. The first song gradually gains momentum as their fleet fingers dance up the necks of their respective instruments. "Yours to Keep" has some swagger in its strut, while "20 Mile Jump" is slightly more upbeat. "A Little Devil" is one of the album's lead singles for good reason. It demonstrates what is most effective for the band and finds them firing it off perfectly. Punchy accent that brings an almost rock feel to instrumentation that is clearly not. The vocal harmonies are smooth with a touch of melancholy.
They play a more conventional bluegrass version on the song "Son of Ambrose". While they are certainly skilled at it and even then bring their fingerprint to it, it leans closer to being too straightforward for my taste. But appreciate their ability to play by these rules, as you could play it for your hillbilly grandparents and they would be prone to dance a jig. There are a few instrumental interludes that I am not counting for the purpose of this review some of them carry sonic shade I wish would have been worked into actual songs. "Completely Sweetly" is another really strong contender for being the album's best song. The vocals sit just right in the darker groove of the song.
The ballad " A Place I Hardly Know" works really well with the regaling drunken turns of fortune. "Cured Contessa' is about how momma loves her bacon. "Tiny Wooden Box" is another one of the singles that preceded the album, and was also wisely chosen. "Father John" closes the album with a moody introspective that still works pretty well even if it is not the album's strongest song. Will give this album a 9.5, as it finds these guys remaining consistent in what they do which is already pretty great.
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