Billed as “20 songs for 20 years,” The Infamous Stringdusters‘ new album, 20/20, is more than simply another new release or, as one might suspect, some sort of compilation. Rather, in keeping with their milestone 20 year anniversary, the band takes an ambitious leap forward, offering up a generous 20 songs on a new single CD. The group, which includes Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Travis Book (bass), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), Andy Hall (dobro), and Andy Falco (guitar), takes a lesson from the Beatles’ White Album, courtesy of a diverse set of tracks that once again brings their versatility to the fore.
Not that they’ve ever been shy about expressing that particular desire. They’re not only a Grammy Award-winning jamgrass band, but they’ve consistently made it a point to venture into related realms as well, be it country, indie-folk, and Americana. Still, bluegrass remains their primary anchor… and decidedly so. After all, given their ongoing musical kinship, the fact that they’ve developed such an uncommonly close-knit relationships between themselves, and now have the advantage of releasing their music on their own label, the freewheeling essence of bluegrass naturally never strays far from the surface.
That absolute influence is evident early on with the rousing opening track, Waking Man Blues, and gains continued credence courtesy of such offerings as Holding On To You, Light At the End Of the Day, and Wounds Don’t Take To Healing, which finds all the musicians manage to shine in sync.
They also show a skill that allows them to vary the pace, whether it’s the slower, carefully-considered Dead Man Walking, the determined delivery of Up From the Bottom, the rousing To the End Of the Line, the rambling Karma’s Got Your Number, or the descriptively titled a cappella number, Gospel 32 (Let Him Move.)
And that only covers what’s represented on the first half of the album! Still, the second half fares just as well.
It all owes to the fact that The Infamous Stringdusters possess a certain kinship to bands like Leftover Salmon, Steep Canyon Rangers, Town Mountain, the Sam Bush Band, and The Punch Brothers, all outfits that place equal importance on distinct melodies as express by their brilliant musicianship. The fact that the Stringdusters manage to do so with such verve and variety elevates them into an upper pantheon of their own.
With this new album, listeners are given ever more reason to celebrate all they’ve accomplished two decades on. This big 20th anniversary aside, it’s clear they came of age well before now.
