DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER, OPEN CAREFULLY, MESSAGE INSIDE

DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER
OPEN CAREFULLY, MESSAGE INSIDE

Mountain Home
MH15652

   Doyle Lawson has put together many versions of his band Quicksilver over the last three decades. There have been times when just the right group of musicians have been in the fold, yet there have been other periods when up-and-coming stars leave to form their own bands, leaving Lawson to rebuild. The current formation of Quicksilver has been together for quite a few years now, and they are on a roll.

There are six members of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver currently, including Lawson on mandolin, Josh Swift on resonator guitar and recording engineer, Jason Barie on fiddle, Joe Dean on banjo and guitar, Dustin Pyrtle on guitar, and Eli Johnston on bass. What’s cool about this outfit is that at the end of all of the musician profiles there is the word “vocals.” One of Lawson’s hallmarks over the years has been his ability to put together a strong vocal group that can sing wall-of-sound harmonies, and everyone in this band does their part.

Lawson is always looking for gospel numbers that are not the old standards, widening the catalog whenever possible, and that’s the case here. For instance, there are five songs on this album written by Steve Watts, including the old call-and-response gospel feel of “Lead Me To The Fountain,” the a cappella harmonies of “He’s In Control,” and the straight-ahead bluegrass of “Will You Go?” co-written by Lawson. There is one traditional cut on here, the lively “Get On Board.” The rest of the album is filled with solid, slower heartfelt tunes, but there is also some upbeat fare with “It’s Done” and “Climbing Upward.” (Mountain Home, P.O. Box 829, Arden, NC 28704, www.mountainhomemusiccompany.com.)DH