by Emis K. Egdemir
The 30th Anniversary release of the Dry Branch Fire Squad is an exceptional piece of work. The bluegrass and old-timey world will be drawn to this album for its vocal beauty, solid fret board work, and well-thought-out, conscious-driven lyrics.
The listener really gets a lot of bang for the buck with this collection. It includes 21 tracks of quality music, four of which are previously unreleased. For the most part, the instrumentation of the tunes takes a back seat to their vocal work. If you are a veteran to bluegrass and traditional American music, you are sure to recognize some covers on the album interspersed among many fine-crafted originals.
If the listener can tolerate the wavering vocal style of the lead vocalist, Ron Thomason, in order to appreciate his great talent for songwriting and performing, all will be well. The Dry Branch Fire Squad is a celebration of the best that fingerpicking American music has to offer. Those who appreciate this genre should pick this album up and join the fun.
“Rollin’ On Rubber Wheels”