There will probably not be a more profound homage to the
southern states among this year’s major releases than the new album by old
roots favourites Old Crow Medicine Show. Starting with the evocative title and
threading through a sound that signals the familiar with the odd twist, VOLUNTEER
voluptuously feeds the desire for more of the same that fans have craved over
the years. This record sees the band return to the fold of original material
following a year of paying tribute to their hero Bob Dylan via the BLONDE ON
BLONDE revival project. In essence, this is the follow up to the 2015 Grammy
winning effort REMEDY and it will be no surprise if such acclaim comes knocking
again.
Before you even slide in the opening track, a glance at the song
list reveals words such as ‘Mississippi’, ‘hickory’, ‘mountain’ and ‘Dixie’ suggesting a southern flavour is going to prevail. This is confirmed barely a couple of bars
into the riotous fiddle-led hoedown number ‘Flicker
& Shine’; a surefire sign that you are in Old Crow territory. This
bout of frenetic mayhem is not alone as the two-minute fiddle feast instrumental ‘Elzicks Farewell’ lies in the
penultimate slot alongside a ‘call and response’ back to basics piece titled ‘Shout Mountain Music’, anchoring deep in
the core of the record. The latter is a celebration of riding into Nashville
proclaiming the joy of rural music and succeeds in raising the roof in true Old
Crow style.
Yet amidst the familiar, there are subtle diversions. No
doubt, these are heavily influenced by hooking up with prolific producer Dave Cobb.
Yes, another project from him I hear you say. A little research reveals that this is the
first time the band have used electric instrumentation since 2004. Such
addition tastefully slips in and it supplements rather than knocking the trademark
acoustic sound off its pedestal.
The most recent promoted track epitomises the slight shift
away from old time roots into a more progressive sphere.Here ‘Whirlwind’ closes the album with a romantic slice of contemporary
country. Earlier, ‘Homecoming Party’
is an ironically titled gentle country roller, providing more than a nod to John
Hartford’s ‘Gentle on My Mind’ in its
melodic presence. Its sentiment is that coming off the road is often ‘no
homecoming party’, as the subject struggles to settle back into mundane civilian
life.
Among the plethora of standout songs on the album are two
heavily biased southern pieces in the first half of the record. ‘Child of the Mississippi’ is straight
out of the Mark Twain school of character content, complete with trademark references to ‘muddy
waters’, ‘steamboat’, ‘river man’, all enriched by familiar Old Crow banjo.
Following this in the running order is the equally explicitly titled ‘Dixie Avenue’ celebrating the
thirty-year music making partnership of the band’s two core players Ketch Secor
and Critter Fuqua. This piece of nostalgia is home to some of the electric
guitar, although the fiddle is never far away. ‘Old Hickory’ is another delve into southern lore as banjo returns to strum along to this story piece, successful in re-enacting the chorus friendly traits of the
band’s music. Not quite the karaoke status of ‘Wagon Wheel’, but in that direction.
Another catchy chorus exists in ‘A World Way’, a decent if not spectacular song that tones things
down after the frantic opener. Anthem qualities reside in ‘Look Away’, another track where electric sits neatly alongside
fiddle. This song is probably the nearest to a ballad on the album, in
contrast to the boogie woogie vibes of ‘The
Good Stuff’, which keeps the momentum going at the heart of the record.
Overall, VOLUNTEER succeeds in a mission to resume the Old
Crow Medicine Show legacy drive. It largely sticks to the familiar template, with any diversions skilfully factored in. Its evangelical tip to the South
displays proudly, but ultimately it is a foot tapping delightful listen. A fine example of old time
stringed music successfully brought to the masses, with the added spice of this one stretching a little further.