Hold on Heart

This sure is one high-octane, peak-performance musical experience. Carson Peters and Iron Mountain are firing on all cylinders, and what a joy it is to listen to all the gears turning together. 

They manage to convey a friendly front porch pickin’ session feel while absolutely ripping along at top speed. Bonus points for picking out the great Jim Croce tune “Walking Back to Georgia,” and cranking up the tempo. While the band can handle high-speed material, they can also slow it down exquisitely on a song like “The Mirror” or “On My Father’s Side,” the latter of which is a touching gospel number with intriguing lyrics that pull you in. The vocals are spot on as well, especially on the accapella “I Need Jesus,” which is a masterclass in harmony singing. The album was produced by Peters along with Jerry Salley, so you know everything is going to be top-notch in the performances, the sound, and the feel of the record. It’s all here: harmonies, brilliant playing, heartfelt vocals, and perhaps most important, fun. I dare you to listen to the title track without smiling, you know for sure the band was having a good time recording it.