Reverend’s Affair from Appalachian Smoke

Appalachian Smoke is a relatively new bluegrass group from western North Carolina and Georgia, with a serious sound and some intriguing original material. While the members are still fairly young, they are all experienced players, singers, and songwriters with a nice take on the contemporary bluegrass sound.

Their first album, Colder Side of Love, was just recently released, and we are happy to share their debut single today, a dark and brooding song called Reverend’s Affair, written by mandolinist BJ Taylor. It’s a new murder ballad about a man who discovers his wife in the arms of his brother, the minister who had married them. Talk about a betrayal! Taylor is something of a wordsmith, and the lyrics are worth pondering as you listen.

BJ is supported by his bandmates Jamie Mason on guitar, Kenneth Rymer on reso-guitar, Mikel Laws on banjo, and Tim Williams on bass. They’ve arranged the song in a bluesy, mid-tempo style which serves this melancholy number well.

Have a listen…

Reverend’s Affair and the full Colder Side of Love project are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

Share this:

About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.