An album of firsts – all dulcimer, no piano, and debut studio appearances for Ross Holmes, Gibb Droll and Moyes Lucas (although technically Moyes’ washboard on Valley Road was recorded live).
Released: June 17 2016
Chart: #30 Billboard Rock, #13 Billboard US Folk
- Over the Rise
- Soon Enough
- MIA in M.I.A.M.I.
- Tipping
- Rehab Reunion
- Hey Kafka
- Tropical Cashmere Sweater
- TSA Man
- The Valley Road
- Celestial Railroad
- Green, Green Rocky Road (iTunes exclusive)
- The Good Life (iTunes exclusive)
- Shadow Hand (iTunes exclusive)
Personnel:
Bruce Hornsby (dulcimer, vocals), J.V. Collier (bass), Sonny Emory (washboard, cajon, drums), J.T. Thomas (organ), Ross Holmes (fiddle, mandolin), Gibb Droll (guitar), Moyes Lucas (washboard), Mavis Staples (vocals), Justin Vernon (vocals)
Reviews:
NPR: “he’s never sounded more relevant.”
Pop Break: 9.5/10: “absolutely delightful, and it gets stuck in your bones more and more with every song.”
All About Jazz: 3.5/4 stars: “a vibrant record that refreshingly gives the sometimes-overlooked facets of his music their place to shine.”
Our Musical Journey: “might actually be one of Hornsby’s best albums ever, even without playing a single piano key.”
The Australian: 3.5/5 stars: “a fun diversion from what Hornsby does best.”
Relix: “Hornsby proves that he’s still got some wonderful tricks up his sleeve.”
American Songwriter: 3.5/5 stars: “a natural, even logical road to take on a lifelong musical journey that has seldom been predictable.”
All Music: 8/10: “Hornsby manages to shoehorn the four-stringed instrument’s limited range into ten spirited full-band tracks that certainly aren’t folk songs.”
Jambase: “a discernible ‘live’ feeling.”