It was ten years ago that Blue Highway released an album titled Original Traditional, a collection of original material all created with a traditional bluegrass angle. You can use that same description for several different artists, but one who best exemplifies it is Nick Chandler & Delivered. Based in Western North Carolina, the group has a strong reputation for their traditional bluegrass stylings while maintaining a keen sense of uniqueness within their musical approach. Look For Me on Pinecastle Records is their first full length release in four years.
The album kicks off with the fast paced Hazel Creek. Written by the iconic songwriting couple, Tom T. and Dixie Hall, this song carries an air of familiarity as its lyrics and melody give nods to tried and true favorites such as Shady Grove. It’s given an energetic rendering by Nick and his bandmates. Along with Chandler on mandolin and vocals, Delivered consists of Gary Trivette on bass and vocals, Spencer Atkinson on guitar and vocals, and Jake Burrows on banjo and vocals.
The strongest selections on the recording are the ones written within the band. Swept, by Gary Trivette, is an upbeat positive song about an enduring love, while Maria by Chandler tells a captivating story about a love affair beginning in Amarillo, TX. Don’t Cry For Me by Jake Burrows is a beautifully played banjo instrumental that’s delivered with a delicate touch akin to Sonny Osborne.
The title track, Look For Me and I’ll Be There, was first recorded by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver on their 1990 album, My Heart Is Yours. While Chandler keeps the spirit of Lawson’s original performance within his mandolin playing, it stands as another great example of he and Delivered being able to make the song their own. This is also the case with selections such as Old Devil’s Dream, Follow the Leader, and Never Did No Wanderin’.
Look For Me gives us another great glimpse of Nick Chandler and Delivered’s approach to the traditional bluegrass sound. Played with great polish and authority, this release particularly demonstrates the group’s ability to stretch boundaries within an old school framework.
