Lowcountry Boil’s multi-instrumental debut album, Break Me Off Some Bluegrass appeals to the psychedelic square-dancer, hand-clapping foot stomper and mountain music fan. The band exemplifies the traditional bluegrass sound with their fast-paced picking style and at times vocal-centric songs. However, the textural foundation of sound is modernized by multiple jams and fresh lyrics, which gears the album toward the hip youth market.
Break Me Off Some Bluegrass opens with a high flying instrumental entitled "Shamrockin’." The fiddle, played by Vassar Clements, is cranked way up in the mix, which in my opinion, is a beautiful thing. Clement’s fiddle is a powerful asset and adds a fusionistic quality to the songs he is featured in. The combination of fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar and bass creates a densely layered montague of sound that requires one to listen to the album many times to truly appreciate its instrumental diversity.
The second track, "My Time To Fly" continues the high-energy vibe. The addition of vocals is appreciated but the duets need to be better synchronized. I particularly enjoy the third tune, "Take A Look Around." The folklore like lyrics heighten the mystique to this ominous tune. There is a subtle shift in the music’s foundation because the fiddle is not present. One is able to focus on the stealth mandolin riffs and solid rhythmic interplay.
Interestingly, midway through Break Me Off Some Bluegrass, the music lightens up and the lyrics become more tangible. This is the section I would recommend for novice bluegrass fans. "Once Upon a Time’s" achingly empathetic lyrics blend nicely with the banjo’s soft plucking and the mandolin’s fine picking. Listen up for the banjo solo on the next track, "Sibling Rivalry." It rips and is followed by the acidic fiddle. "Workin’ My Troubles Away" also has some commercial appeal, though the singing at times rattles you out of the hypnotic groove.
In totality, Break Me Off Some Bluegrass is a distinguished bluegrass album full of unique instrumental arrangements and visionary heart-felt lyrics. The sound goes beyond the over-stimulated MTV hype and challenges us to stop and listen. Stretch your ears for a tune like "Twanghai Surprise" which features a 9-year-old mandolin player, and you will be drawn into the purity of the music created for music’s sake. Lowcountry Boil tackles and ratifies the grassroots base with the style of an old-school crusader and the finesse of jam band players.
