Joe Troop: “Borrowed Time” (2021) CD Review

Joe Troop is known for his work in the group Che Apalache, a string band whose material combines Argentinian music with bluegrass. Last year he released his first solo album, Borrowed Time, an album that came out of the pandemic. It features all original material written by Joe Troop. While in Che Apalache, Joe Troop plays fiddle, on this album he mostly plays banjo (though he does also play fiddle and guitar on certain tracks). Some incredibly talented musicians join him on this release, including Béla Fleck, Tim O’Brien and Charlie Hunter. Joe Troop sings in both English and Spanish.

The album opens with “Horizon,” which addresses the troubled state of our nation, a nation divided by fear, hatred, and lies, all while the climate crisis continues to worsen. “Deadly waters rising/Frightful hurricanes/What we’ve left for future generations.” Yet the song has a positive sound. Joe Troop delivers some nice work on banjo. Trey Boudreaux is on upright bass, and Lionel Sanders is on percussion. Some of the song’s lyrics are sung in Spanish. That’s followed by “Love Along The Way,” which has a cheerful traditional bluegrass sound. It is this track that gives the album its title, in the line “Life on Earth is borrowed time.” Here Joe Troop sings, “All across this country from the east to the west/Everywhere I go I find the same old mess/Good-hearted people doing the best they can/With a mucked up system that don’t give a damn.” I want to believe that people are essentially good, and that it’s the callous system that somehow divides us, but every day there is more evidence to the contrary, and I’ve come to believe that a lot of people are just rotten (everyone who voted for Trump in 2020, for example). Still, it is true that the system is broken. Just look at health care and senior care (or lack thereof) in this country. We do have common problems, and those should unite us. Perhaps with a little more compassion from each of us, we can unite again. Joe Troop reminds us here, “And as long as we’re living, we ought to strive/To love along the way.” Tim O’Brien plays mandolin on this track, and provides some vocal work. Nokosee Fields is on fiddle, guitar and bass.

“The Rise Of Dreama Caldwell” is a song in that great folk tradition of telling a true story of injustice, and of “a sick system.” It’s a strong track with an excellent instrumental section, featuring some great stuff on guitar. On this one, Joe Troop is joined by Charlie Hunter on guitar. Sam Fribush is on organ, Trey Boudreaux is on upright bass, Brevan Hampden is on drums, and Lizzy Ross provides some vocal work. In addition, a choir joins Joe Troop, adding to this song’s power. That’s followed by “Hermano Migrante,” a beautiful song sung in Spanish. Joe Troop delivers a strong, moving vocal performance, as well as some great stuff on banjo. Here he is joined by Tim O’Brien on guitar, Rolando Revilla on accordion, Nokosee Fields on bass, and Trey Boudreaux on snare drum. Then “Sevilla” is the first of the album’s two instrumental tracks. It is a very cool and dramatic piece, with a strong sense of place. Joining Joe Troop on this one are Trey Boudreaux on upright bass and Brevan Hampden on cajón.

“Purdy Little Rainbows” has a sweet, playful vibe, but still with an important message and theme. I do often wonder how certain folks get by in the states that lean toward the right, toward hatred and bigotry. This is a song for them. Charlie Hunter plays guitar, and Sam Fribush is on piano. That’s followed by “Monte Oscuro,” which is sung in Spanish. This song is pretty, in part because of Omar Ruiz-Lopez’s work on violin, and in part because of Joe Troop’s vocals. Joe Troop again uses humor to help make a point in “Red, White & Blues,” a song about struggles, with lines like “Patch me through to Uncle Sam/I got laid off this Christmas Eve/And I overcooked the ham/He’ll understand.” And check out these lines: “Life/Is an unfortunate disease/It rears you up on fairy tales/Then it clubs you in the knees.” I love this song. Tim O’Brien is on mandolin and fiddle, while Nokosee Fields plays upright bass on this track. That’s followed by “Prisionero,” another track sung in Spanish, featuring some really nice work by Trey Boudreaux on upright bass.

Joe Troop addresses the troubles of migrants in “Mercy For Migrants.” On this track, Joe Troop plays fiddle, while Béla Fleck joins him on banjo. This song asks, “Why aren’t we there for each other?” Indeed. It is a question many have asked, particularly in the last five or six years, since this nation went sideways. Abigail Washington joins Joe Troop on vocals. That’s followed by “Django’s Palace,” the album’s second instrumental track. It features some excellent playing from Joe Troop on banjo, and is one of my personal favorites. Joe Troop then wraps things up on a positive and cheerful note with “Heaven On Earth,” which even includes some whistling. He has a lot of musicians join him on this track, and at the end it feels like a celebration. Trey Boudreaux is on upright bass, Brevan Hampden is on percussion, Lu Furtado is on banjo uke, Olivia Fernandez is on mandolin, Reed Stutz is on mandolin, and Lionel Sanders is on percussion. Lizzy Ross, Omar Ruiz-Lopez, Lu Furtado, Olivia Fernandez and Reed Stutz join him on vocals. Joe Troop plays guitar and fiddle on this track, and provides the whistling.

CD Track List

1. Horizon
2. Love Along The Way
3. The Rise Of Dreama Caldwell
4. Hermano Migrante
5. Sevilla
6. Purdy Little Rainbows
7. Monte Oscuro
8. Red, White & Blues
9. Prisionero
10. Mercy For Migrants
11. Django’s Palace
12. Heaven On Earth

Borrowed Time was released on August 20, 2021 on Free Dirt Records.