DEER CREEK BOYS, WHAT GOES UP

DEER CREEK BOYS
WHAT GOES UP

Mountain Fever Records
MFR160415

If the name Deer Creek Boys sounds familiar, it’s because they’ve been around before—sort of. The band was originally formed in 1999 when brothers Justin and Jason Tomlin (guitar and bass, respectively) joined up with Carson Ogden on mandolin and played around their hometown of Amherst, Va. The group members eventually went in other directions, gathering experience with many top bands in bluegrass before coming back together. They added North Carolina banjo picker Andy Lowe and they were off releasing their first album, What Goes Up.

While taking individual turns with traditional sounding groups such as Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, the Bluegrass Brothers, and Nothin’ Fancy, the Deer Creek Boys have added their own touch, which might be described as contemporary. It wouldn’t be a stretch for a couple of the tunes to crossover into country.

The first single, “How A Cowgirl Says Goodbye,” represents the band’s overall touch and sound. While the entire debut effort is solid, there are others that stand out. “So Good To Be Gone” is the lead-off track and lets a listener know the album is bluegrass via the showcasing of Lowe’s banjo work. Those who enjoy storyteller tunes won’t be disappointed with “Grey Ghost.” Justin “Tater” Tomlin penned “Some Kind Of Beautiful,” another song not to be overlooked.

The band has become popular on the festival circuit and signed on with Mountain Fever Records, which has accumulated quite a stable of bluegrass artists in the past few years. Label founder Mark Hodges summed up Deer Creek Boys this way: “I’m anxious for everyone to hear the music they are creating. I think it is traditionally based, but fresh and different.” (www.deercreekboys.com)MKB