The Denver-based quintet that goes by the descriptive handle, Pick & Howl, makes a formidable impression courtesy of their new album, Country Symphony, a set of songs that find them firmly entrenched within today’s populist and progressive bluegrass genre. Like others that operate within these realms, the group — made up of guitarist and lead vocalist Jeremy Richards, Paul Larson on banjo, Melissa Stube on fiddle, Andrew Gordon on dobro, and Eric Gordon on double bass — manage to carefully tow the narrow divide between the classic and the contemporary, while delivering ready and reliable melodies that easily and effectively frame that finesse.
That was first affirmed by the fact that Pick & Howl won the 2022 RockyGrass band competition, doing so while drawing from a diverse variety of influences that range from The Grateful Dead and Billy Strings, to Townes Van Zandt and Flatt & Scruggs. Nevertheless, they don’t necessarily sound especially similar to any of them, given that comparisons bring them closer to the Steep Canyon Rangers, Punch Brothers, and Town Mountain. Richards is responsible for the majority of the material and keeps the momentum moving, whether it’s the rousing and robust No Window, Fever, Coyote, and My Own Shoes, the heartfelt balladry of Cartersville, the light-hearted 9 Mile Cigarettes, or the reflective yet resolute, American Boy. The band inject both emotion and enticement into their music, keeping melody solidly at the fore throughout.
Indeed, there’s nothing rote or routine in terms of Pick & Howl’s primary pursuits, only good music flush with easy engagement. The sparkling instrumental, Dottie’s Dance, is but one example of the sweep and sway the band has at their command, just as Live Today finds the full fruition its title implies.
Through it all, fiddles flail, mandolins provide a constant strum, and banjos add an emphatic embrace. The results coalesce in a delivery that’s fully fueled by both emotion and intent, making this Country Symphony an assured display of the band’s passion and purpose. In that regard, it easily ranks as one of the best debuts of the past year, and a promising prospect for what’s yet to come.
