The album opens with “Hard Times” which begins with some good playing. The vocals for the first couple of stanzas have a peculiar sound, like they are coming through a radio or old speaker system. And then for the chorus, the vocals sound closer, and the song takes on more energy. “Well, the world seems fucked, but I’m doing fine/Guess we’ll all be out in a matter of time.” Oh yes, those lines seem just exactly right, don’t they? And I love that guitar work in the track’s second half. This song was written by Augie Dougherty. It is followed by “Livin’” which was also written by Augie Dougherty. This one has that delicious, fast bluegrass pace and features a whole of great playing. “I don’t want to tell you how to live/What’s the good in living/If the living really isn’t that good?” Well, with music like this playing, the living is pretty damn good. This track contains some playful moments which make the living seem even better. And I love that section with guitar and banjo. So good! And from there, things get funky, and now there can be no question about life not being good. The guitar becomes electric, and we find ourselves in the middle of a funky bluegrass jam that I just don’t want to end.
As “Gone in A Day” opens, it has a mellower vibe. It then soon kicks in, while retaining something of a sweet feel. This one too deals with questions of life and death. I suppose these days we’re all contemplating such things. “And I hate to lose you while you breathe/Shock my heart until time lets me sleep/I was told that, now I know that.” Jeremy Garrett joins the group on fiddle for this one, delivering some wonderful work. “Gone In A Day” was written by Ben Majeska. “It’s all the same at the end of the day,” they tell us in “All The Same,” a lively number written by Augie Dougherty. “I worry a lot about the people I got/And whether or not they think I’m going insane/I only want answers, so does everyone else.” I’m not sure we’re going to get them, but it’s okay, particularly when you maintain a sense of humor, as these guys clearly do. You can hear that in lines like these: “You can die in a car, you can die in a well/Either way you’re going to smell like hell.” Yes, life and death again. This track features some wonderful stuff on banjo.
“Skippin’ Town” has such a cool and catchy vibe, partly because of that guitar line, partly the vocal line. “Had too much, on the rocks/You’ve seen it all before/Getting away, clean getaway.” And that banjo work is delightful. Then it suddenly is taken to a different level, with that electric guitar, before returning to that catchy groove. This track has a loose, somewhat goofy ending. “Skippin’ Town” was written by Ben Majeska. Then “You’ve Been Hurt” contains some really nice harmonies early on. Some songs reach out to us, as this one does. “Honey, I can tell that your wounds are fresh/I can tell just by the way you clench your fist into your chest.” He might be singing to one specific person, but of course it is whoever is listening, whoever needs it. At the end, this song urges us “come along.” This song was written by Augie Dougherty.
A seriously cool bass line is established at the beginning of “Lowdown Time.” And then we’re introduced to a horn section, made up of Allen Cordingley on tenor saxophone, Jon Schipper on trumpet, and Jamie Kember on trombone, adding to the bright, lively feel of the song. “And I just need some help getting by/Won’t you help me stay alive?” At one point in this song, songwriter Ben Majeska sings, “Throw me a rope,” but I find that music like this is that very rope that keeps me from straying too far into darkness. Just listen to that banjo, and things will be all right. “Empty Pools,” also written by Ben Majeska, has a good feel about it, the instruments setting that tone before we hear any of the lyrics. Those first lines are “The schools are empty in the summer/And the pools are empty in the winter/And if I’m lucky this year/My empty heart will recover.” We get the feeling it will, because the music is hopeful, cheerful. “And by myself, I’ll be okay.”
The band slows things down then for “Liquor Store,” which has a more somber feel as it begins. Then after thirty seconds or so, it kicks in, and features guest Ernest Brusabardis IV on fiddle. “You haven’t suffered enough yet/Yeah, you’re just a young man/You’ve got a long way to go/Before it really gets that bad.” Those are interesting lines, because they’re not denying it will get that bad; in fact, they’re conceding that it will. But then they remind us, “You’re only here once.” Indeed, this is it, folks. This is all we’ve got, so don’t bow out early. “Liquor Store” was written by Augie Dougherty. This album then concludes with “Boneyard,” a playful number, delightful right from its opening. And when it kicks in, it becomes even more fun. “There’s nothing wrong with me/I’m just trying to be/The man I always thought I was.” Ah yes, good luck to us all. It is a positive number to leave us with, though it does remind us we’ll all end up dead. It was written by Augie Dougherty and features some good work on harmonica.
CD Track List
- Hard Times
- Livin’
- Gone In A Day
- All The Same
- Skippin’ Town
- You’ve Been Hurt
- Lowdown Time
- Empty Pools
- Liquor Store
- Boneyard
Hard Times & Deadlines is scheduled to be released on March 15, 2024.
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