Papertown

Balsam Range

Mountain Home, 2012

http://balsamrange.com

REVIEW BY: Curtis Jones

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 04/14/2013

After a powerful Mountain Home release in 2010 (Trains I Missed) and a serious farm accident that befell fiddle player Buddy Melton, Balsam Range returned with Papertown to much fan adulation. The group, hailing from North Carolina, blends old and new talent into an eclectic Americana/bluegrass form. my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Papertown demonstrates the group's incredible energy. Many of the songs are up tempo, complex arrangements that drive a hard rhythm. From "Other Side Of The Mountain," "Any Road Will Take You There," "Day In The Life Of A Railroad Spike" to the barnburner "The Streamlined Cannonball," the group shows impressive instrumental skill, especially on Darren Nicholson's intricate mandolin licks. Tim Surrett provides a rock solid lead vocal but steady vocal harmonies are a hallmark best demonstrated on "I Ain't Leavin'."

With so much hard-driving material, some of the slower selections stand a bit out of place, such as the beautifully produced "Wide River To Cross."  The title track "Papertown" holds to the theme of "this is my beloved hometown" as other tunes do, but its writing style and phrasing stand apart from the rest of the album completely. Yet despite the inconsistency, some of these “different” tunes are quite fun. The group's rendition of the old blues tune "One Way Out" (made popular by the Allman Brothers Band in the ‘70s show not only the instrumental talent of the groups, as they all take a turn to jam on the song, but also shows a group having real fun with the material. "I Could Do You Some Good" brings a smile as it turns the old honky tonk style break up song on its head. And the crystal clear tenor vocals laid down by Buddy Melton on the chorus are quite impressive.

Overall, Papertown is an enjoyable and upbeat album from a solid bluegrass lineup. Fans were glad to see Melton return strong after his accident, and also look forward to artistic growth from the group for years to come.

Rating: B

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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