Beacons

Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg the husband and wife duo known as Nefesh Mountain have sent a love letter of hope and possibility to the world with their new album. The release is a double disc set of songs that exemplify the old adage of “Three Chords And The Truth” and while there may be more than three chords employed from time to time, the lyrics feel true and perfectly suited to this moment in time.

The album is divided into two parts, Americana and bluegrass which may have been unnecessary as the songs all work together with similar themes and of course the same singers, but if you prefer banjo instead of pedal steel you can go to the bluegrass set. “Regrets in the Rearview” kicks off the bluegrass tracks with lyrics that speak of trusting the Great Spirit and all things unforeseen. With Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Cody Kilby, Stuart Duncan, Rob McCoury and Mark Schatz on board you know the instrumentation is top notch.       

“This is Me” is a powerful up-tempo song that is completely within the bluegrass lyrical tradition of the old home place and finding your path in the world. There’s a slight twist to tradition though as the old home place in this case is Brooklyn, New York. That’s an important twist for if bluegrass is to survive and thrive there must be a place for everyone to sing their own story whether your grew up on a farm in the hills or an apartment in the city.

“Man of Manzanita” is a beautiful tribute to the music of Tony Rice that feels both personal and universal. It would be hard for any fan of Rice to listen without a smile as they weave references to his many classic songs into the lyrics. The eighteen tracks that make up the new album cover a lot of sonic territory and yet never sounds disjointed or random. The lyrics are both bittersweet and uplifting but above all honest. An album that features a diverse collection of song styles that fits together with such a high level of songwriting and performance is something to celebrate.