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Avg: 4.0 (45 ratings)
- Date Released: February 22, 2005
- Genre: Country/Folk
- Style: Bluegrass
- Label: Yep Roc Records / Redeye
-
We Say...
After their 2003 debut, this Raleigh, N.C.-based bluegrass quartet shifted from side project to full-time band — and it shows here. Featuring two former members of country upstart Tift Merritt's band, Chatham County Line nicely wears the benefits of more than a year's worth of touring, boasting the tight-yet-offhand ensemble play necessary to stand up in a field dominated by virtuoso pickers.
Nonetheless, CCL remains the equivalent of a bluegrass garage band — there's a ragged glory and inspired sloppiness on Route 23 that marks them as a band of rag-tag neophytes rather than skilled masters. But the all-in-this-together spirit gives them personality, and producer Chris Stamey smartly emphasizes feel over perfection. Singer and primary songwriter Dave Wilson has grown into an expressive singer, especially on the mountain blues tunes "Ruination" and "Dark Clouds," while fiddler and mandolinist John Teer, the band's instrumental star, suggests he could hold his own in a bluegrass shootout on "Gunfight in Durango"; the harmonies shine throughout.
All former rockers, the members of Chatham County Line aren't purists — the title song, for one, draws on breezy '70s folk rock rather than string-band music — but their brand of expansive eclecticism suggests that this particular county line is capable of expanding in any number of directions. -
They Say...
Chatham County Line's second trip to the well proves to be just as refreshing as their first. Route 23 travels the same dusty back roads in the same open-top convertible, singing harmony-filled acoustic bluegrass songs that would do Bill Monroe proud. Recorded primarily around one microphone by producer Chris Stamey, the group croons and stomps with an authenticity that belies their young age. The mournful title track serves as an early highlight, with songwriter and vocalist Dave Wilson recalling the feeling of his own father's hardware store (here transposed to a service station) being left behind after the State re-routed the highway away from his place of business. This theme of a lost yesteryear knits its way through the entire album, carried by freight trains, reenacted in gunfights, and preached from the pulpit. Bright banjos and mandolins ring across these tracks, punctuated by the band's now-trademark harmonies and decidedly lo-fi studio techniques, making for a warm journey back through winding roads and Philco radios.
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| 01. |  |
Nowhere To Sleep |
2:43 |
|
| 02. | |
Dark Clouds |
3:37 |
|
| 03. | |
Route 23 |
3:43 |
|
| 04. | |
Louisiana Freight Train |
5:03 |
|
| 05. | |
Gunfight In Durango |
2:15 |
|
| 06. | |
Engine No. 709 |
2:31 |
|
| 07. | |
Parlour Light |
3:17 |
|
| 08. | |
Arms Of The Law |
3:11 |
|
| 09. | |
Sun Up |
1:37 |
|
| 10. | |
Take Heed |
3:21 |
|
| 11. | |
Ruination |
2:20 |
|
| 12. | |
Make Some Pay |
2:17 |
|
| 13. | |
Saro Jane |
3:56 |
|
| 14. | |
Born To Be With You |
1:57 |
|
14 Total Tracks, 41:48 Total Length
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Credits
- Chris Stamey - Producer // Chris Stamey - Engineer // Mitch Easter - Engineer // Dave A. Harris - Mastering // Caitlin Cary - Harmony Vocals // Caitlin Cary - Harmony Vocals // Michael Traister - Photography // Mary Gunn - Graphic Design // Greg Readling - Bass // Greg Readling - Pedal Steel // Greg Readling - Vocals // Greg Readling - Group Member // Mark Anthony Williams - Engineer // Chatham County Line - Main Performer // John Teer - Fiddle // John Teer - Mandolin // John Teer - Vocals // John Teer - Group Member // Chandler Holt - Banjo // Chandler Holt - Vocals // Chandler Holt - Group Member // David Seward - Engineer // Tim "Harp" Harper - Mixing // Dave Wilson - Guitar // Dave Wilson - Harmonica // Dave Wilson - Vocals // Jeff Crawford - Assistant Engineer
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