A Norman Rockwell Time
Based in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Buck McCumbers heads a band called “Buck and Company,” but for this release he gathered together some different players and renamed the band “The Hillbillies.” Included in the studio are McCumbers (mandolin, vocals), Eric Chichester (guitar, vocals), Dodd Walker (bass, vocals), Rick Ellis (banjo, guitar), Hunter Lemon (fiddle), and brother Dwayne McCumbers (resonator guitar).
This is a project of all-original material by McCumbers and the tunes are mostly about growing up and living in West Virginia, where the title cut is about the town of Grantsville, West Virginia. “There’s A Place” sings of McCumbers growing up in that area, and “Zebco 33” tells of wanting the famous fishing reel. “The Possum” is a kind of tribute to the late George Jones, and “Morristown Flood” relates the tale of that disaster in Rockport, West Virginia.
Other selections include “Set The Strings On Fire,” “Hillbilly Man,” “Simple Man,” “Sinner’s Plea,” “Little Peeps,” “Shoe String Road,” “I’m Gonna Miss You,” and “She Rode All The Way,” a true Civil War tale. McCumbers’ songs are supported by his distinct vocals and are backed by some good harmonies and instrumental arrangements from the artists. This is a nice look at growing up and living in West Virginia’s bucolic environment.
