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Yonder Mountain String Band
Yonder Mountain String Band
(Vanguard)
First Appeared in The Music Box, May 2006, Volume 13, #5
Written by John Metzger
Even before the music begins to play, it’s clear that Yonder Mountain String
Band has taken a different approach to its new, eponymous endeavor. For
starters, it has shifted its business outlook by moving from its own label to
the more comfortable confines of the Welk Music Group. Rather than joining Sugar
Hill, the company’s bluegrass wing, however, Yonder Mountain String Band opted
instead to have its recordings issued via Vanguard, Welk’s pop-oriented
subsidiary. In addition, Tom Rothrock — who has worked with Elliott Smith, Foo
Fighters, and Beck — was brought on board to produce the self-titled affair.
Therefore, it ought not to be a surprise that, with its blend of electric
guitars and drums — the effort is a complete departure from everything that
preceded it.
Although banjo and mandolin still figure quite prominently within the group’s
music, it is abundantly clear that Yonder Mountain String Band has its eye on
reaching a much broader (and larger) audience. Both the arrangements and the
harmonies are tightly knit, and the collective’s newfound emphasis upon melody
pushes its songs ever closer towards radio-friendly, mainstream-minded fare.
Atmospheric echoes of U2 envelop the opening Sidewalk Stars, while How
’Bout You? offers a hybridization of the Dave Matthews Band and Son Volt.
Elsewhere, the group submerses itself within the southern-fried textures of the
Charlie Daniels Band (Angel), and frequently throughout the self-titled
endeavor, it imbues its folk rock with a mixture of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
and New Grass Revival. There’s no question that beneath the surface of its
material, Yonder Mountain String Band’s bluegrass heart still beats with a
vengeance, but while its rebirth as a pop-oriented outfit isn’t always
successful, its growth and maturity are readily apparent. 
Of Further Interest...
Elvis Costello - Momofuku
Railroad Earth - Amen Corner
Son Volt - The Search
Yonder Mountain String Band is available from Amazon.
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2006 The Music Box
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