On its third disc No Other Way, Mountain Heart takes a step back from
the strictly religious nature of its previous album The Journey, and the
result is a more accessible outing. Granted, it’s not entirely a secular affair,
but the way the band intermingles gospel selections (The Spirit Moved,
Tedious and Tasteless) with tales of the broken-hearted (Faithless Heart)
and those who have lost their way (Gambler’s Blues) tempers the
preachiness, thereby allowing the group’s talent to shine.
And what talent there is. Founded by three alumni of Doyle Lawson &
Quicksilver (Jim VanCleve, Steve Gulley, and Barry Abernathy), Mountain Heart
now includes bassist Jason Moore and former Union Station mandolinist Adam
Steffey. Not surprisingly, the group doesn’t deliver quite the hardcore
bluegrass sound for which some purists might yearn, but its more mainstream,
less rough-around-the-edges style makes the group all the more appealing to a
wider audience. The picking is superb as instruments fold around one another,
dancing with serpentine rhythms on the upbeat tunes and providing a gently
flowing undercurrent to the slower ones.
In 1999, prior to the release of its first album, Mountain Heart was dubbed
Emerging Artist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Association. No
Other Way is a prime example of why that honor was so justified. 
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