Whether you call them purveyors of Alt-Bluegrass, Jam Grass or anything else, it’s undeniable that Greensky Bluegrass has spent the last dozen years using their deft musicianship, collaborative improvisation, and unique repertoire to become a touring phenomenon. Without the benefit of a hit record or mainstream attention the band has built a devout following that follows them through theaters and festivals, including multiple sellouts at Red Rocks and the development of their own annual 4848 Festival. Now, with the release of Stress Dreams, Greensky is ready to bring banjos, dobros, and mandolins into the mainstream on the strength of well-crafted and arranged songs reflecting the frustration as well as the hope that has enveloped us all over the last few years.
With a theme of uncertainty running through it, Stress Dreams looks at it from all angles, be it life paths, relationships, and even the collective emptiness of life grinding to a halt. Starting with the opening track, “Absence Of Reason,” there’s a sense of feeling stymied by doing all one can, but it not being enough, which is reinforced again on the title track and most literally stated in “Until I Sing Again,” with the refrain, “But I feel worthless without a purpose, until I can sing for you.”
The most uplifting track on Stress Dreams, mandolinist Paul Hoffman’s ode to his newborn daughter, “Grow Together,” has been getting attention up and down the Triple A dial, including Colorado Sound, KRSH, WMOT, KTAO, WYEP, and KBAC. With the full-length just hitting radio and year of touring ahead of them, Greensky Bluegrass will continue to work its way up the chart into the American consciousness throughout 2022.
コメント