RFD BOYS

RFD BOYS
THE RFD BOYS AT 50: STILL DELIVERING

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Ann Arbor favorites The RFD Boys will complete their 50th year this coming December 11th. They are as tight and polished as you might expect of a band playing gigs at least weekly for so many years. Their reassuringly solid singing and playing shines on Still Delivering. (RFD stands for Rural Free Delivery mail.)

The core trio of Charlie Roehrig (lead vocals and guitar), Paul Shapiro (bass), and Willard Spencer (banjo) must have onstage communication beyond what I can imagine. Their experience shows in the selection and pacing of the songs. Starting with a strong original, a second take at 1970s “Leavin’ The Ozarks,” they mix songs drawn from honky-tonk, pre-WWII country music, and bluegrass with a couple of their own fiddle tunes. The album holds the listener’s attention just as at a show.

The RFD Boys do what they do very, very well. On Still Delivering, their first studio album since the 1970s, The RFD Boys at 50 deliver a diverse set of songs in the right order, performed flawlessly. A pretty good half-century’s work. (www.rfdboys.com)AM