Lost Soul/Rock & Roll
Joshua Rilko’s debut album, Lost Soul/Rock & Roll, is modern is all aspects of the word.
It began as a Kickstarter project that exceeded the goal and has two distinctly different “sides” — one is bluegrassy and the other, while labeled “rock & roll,” really is more Americana-ish.
A mandolin player, Rilko was formerly with Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys and now works with Americana artist Sierra Ferrell. While he may not be a household name, he’s been around awhile and got help on the project from guitar star Billy Strings and rising fiddle star Bronwyn Keith-Hynes among others.
Rilko wrote most of the songs on the double EP. The best on Side A or “Lost Soul” are “New Way to Fly” and “Homeward Bound.” Side B or “Rock & Roll” mostly has an easy-listening feel, the best of which is “Livin’ Clean and Lovin’ Jesus.”
Others contributing the project are Jed Clark and George Guthrie (guitar/vocals) and Geoff Saunders (bass) on the bluegrass side. Note: there isn’t an omission here, there is no banjo on the bluegrass side. The “flip side” features Lindsay Lou (vocals), Maya Divitry (vocals), Ben Saunders (guitar/fiddle/mandolin), Alex Bice (drums/percussion/vocals) and P.J. George III (bass/keys/accordion/vocals).
One final note, there is one song title and a lyric here and there with language not typical of traditional bluegrass, but more frequently found in Americana.
