Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 09/28/2004
It should come as no surprise to fans of
Ricky Skaggs that the level of musicianship within his band
Kentucky Thunder is superb. Even at their worst, they skim the surface of maximum quality, but what is so exciting about
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder is their ability to balance on the frayed edges of classic and
progressive bluegrass.
Brand New Strings shows this off very well, forsaking neither, and is an excellent example of a group whose members are both technically fantastic and capable of emotionally exploiting their talents, a rare commodity in modern
bluegrass. The first of
Skaggs' four songwriting contributions, the instrumental
"I Corinthians 1:18," is a perfect example of the more forward-thinking side of the group, while the title track is where the group completely cuts loose with ridiculously amazing picking and fiddling.
Skaggs even broke the
traditional bluegrass barrier by employing accordionist
Tim Laure on
"Love Does It Every Time," a nice melodic
country-folk tune, if a little heavy-handed lyrically. Ultimately,
Brand New Strings is an excellent outing for
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, and shows the band pulling
bluegrass another small step further from its shelter into adventure.
~Gregory McIntosh, All Music Guide
;)
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