Walkin’ The Blues

Lori King and her husband Joe front this rustic and robust veteran band that’s based in Iowa and has been plying its craft on the midwestern bluegrass scene for years.  The Kings, veterans of the band Bluegrass Addiction, are both commanding vocalists and they get sure-footed backing from Kevin Amburgey (mandolin and vocals), Mark Hargrove (banjo and vocals), Kyle Murphy (fiddle) and Joe on guitar.

Several of these skillfully crafted songs, such as “South of His Memory” and “Raining In Virginia” vividly employ geographic distance as a metaphor for the insurmountable emotional reaches between broken hearts while featuring some tantalizing word play. “Now There’s You” and “All In My Love For You” are powerfully affirmative romantic celebrations. Just as soulful are the band’s gospel outings, such as “All Is Well With My Soul” and “Gonna Be Movin’.”

A pair of other standouts are a reprise of the 1950s Webster Brothers oldie, “My Heart Won’t Let Me Forget You” and the supercharged instrumental, “Maricopa Breakdown.”  All in all, this is rock-solid, mainstream midwestern bluegrass that sounds like it’s straight out of the ‘hollers’ of Kentucky and West Virginia.