There’s something to be said for authenticity, and even though The Lonesome Town Painters hail from Vancouver British Columbia, thousands of miles from Appalachia and the bastions of bluegrass, their allegiance to its fundamental form is undeniable. The band, which consists of Patrick Bartel (banjo, lead and backing vocals), Jeremy Freeman (mandolin, lead and backing vocals), Fred Beach (bass and backing vocals), and Angelo Eidse, guitar (lead and backing vocals), proudly point to the fact that unlike many of their contemporaries, they make no effort to veer from a traditional template. Each of the three albums they’ve released so far has confirmed that fact, given a sound that places emphasis on three and four part harmonies, adept instrumentation, and songs that take their cue from archival origins.
As the title of the quartet’s new album, Our Bluegrass Favorites, so clearly suggests, that tack they take continues courtesy of these 14 classic covers. Each of these offerings retains the emotional core without sacrificing their own dynamic and distinction. Granted, The Lonesome Town Painters don’t mind being accused of simply basking in the basics, but their exuberance and enthusiasm goes hand in hand with that diehard devotion. Their spirited performances are well suited to the verve and variety that have always served that sound so well.
Naturally, the music leans heavily on the familiarity factor, so while certain songs — Close Up the Honky Tonks, Catch a Train and Ride, Shackles & Chains, and Losing You in particular — are likely to stir some musical memories, the vigor and vitality they invest in each allow for a robust revival. That’s particularly true of such songs as Gonna Paint the Town, and Catch A Train and Ride from the Stanley Brothers catalog, and Flatt & Scruggs’ I’ll Take the Blame, where the rousing performances and heartfelt sentiment that accompanies each are never less than front and center. At the same time, the calm, carefree Losing You from Jimmy Martin, and classics Shackles & Chains and More To Be Pitied offer an easy embrace that reinforces the band’s down home designs.
All in all, The Lonesome Town Painters are the epitome of traditional troubadours, and to their credit, their dedication to past precepts allows them to look back by moving the genre forward. And in that regard, it’s hard to imagine they’ll remain lonesome much longer.
