DETOUR, GOING NOWHERE FAST

DETOUR
GOING NOWHERE FAST

Mountain Fever Records
MFR140329

   Right out of the chute, Detour lets you know they are no-nonsense new bluegrass with drive, taste, great harmonies, and the sweet singing of Missy Armstrong puts the icing on a great cake. The songs are uplifting and draw upon tradition without restating worn-out themes. On “Juliet,” they sing about the Johnson Boys, giving a nod to an old mountain tune. “Soldier’s Sorrow” puts a minor spin on the old fiddle tune “Soldier’s Joy” to tell the true cost of war. Sadly, it is not just the dead who pay that cost. They cover the old Johnny Nash hit song “I Can See Clearly Now,” taking out the reggae beat and adding their twist. They cover the old Bailes Brothers gospel favorite “Traveling The Highway Home” and end up with “America The Beautiful.” “Ain’t Gonna Wait” is a proactive approach to living the good life. There are ten originals on this project. An album  comprised of just the originals would result in a very strong project. Of the thirteen tracks here, the band wrote all but the three obvious ones mentioned above.

This band is hotter than a dog day afternoon. They all get to strut their stuff on “Three, Two, One,” which is two and a half minutes of really hot picking by Jeff Rose on mandolin, Scott Zylstra on lead guitar, Peter Knupfer on fiddle, Lloyd Douglas on banjo, and Jeremy Darrow on bass. Additionally, Rose and Zylstra also add very nice harmonies to Armstrong’s leads. This is a band to keep your eyes and ears on. They are going places. Great songs, great singing, and above-average picking raise them above the crowd. All in all, they are a winning combination of talents worth your investigation. (Mountain Fever Records, 1177 Alum Ridge Rd. NW, Willis, VA 24380, www.mountainfever.com.)RCB