Down The Road

The first word that comes to mind while listening to the new album from Aaron and Adam Bibelhauser and their band is “powerful.” There’s a confidence in the playing and singing that shines through every track. The guests on the album sound perfectly at home, adding their own unique flavors in support of the songs. Dale Ann Bradley and John Cowan bring some fire to the vocals, sounding like they’re having a ball being part of the band. Likewise, Michael Cleveland unleashes some fiddle fireworks on “Faded Embers,” a swingy bounce groove that, like many songs on the album, is an Aaron Bibelhauser original. 

The influence of and reverence for New Grass Revival is apparent with the retooling of “This Heart of Mine” with John Cowan joining on the vocals. Sam Bush joins to render “One Tin Soldier” combined with “The Girl I Left Behind” as he did with Bluegrass Alliance long ago. 

Performing songs from a variety of genres and incorporating those influences has long since become an accepted part of bluegrass and indeed was part of the foundation of the genre in the first place. The Bibelhauser Brothers continue that practice of melding influences into a consistently appealing sound, and it’s especially appropriate that they bring along several trailblazers to make the point.