WWDCFCD. Â What Would Death Cab For Cutie Do (or some other indie favorite) if they recorded an album with just bluegrass instruments? Â The answer to that question is maybe the latest release from The Dang-It Bobbys, Big Trouble. Â It doesn’t have a radio-friendly thumping bass, but the idea of a pop song with intelligent lyrics and an appealing sound that’s not quite mainstream is all there. Â There’s also a healthy dose of Americana, so the album manages to straddle a couple of genres.
First, there are the indie parts of the record. Â The beginning cut, Middle Ground, seems to take the perspective of a no-longer-teenager confronting the idea of growing up and life requiring some compromises. Â Heading Out covers the angst and desire to just leave while Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is about the long trip home. Â Hey Guess What speaks to the pain and confusion of learning you’re adopted. Â These are all tunes that would be right at home on a college radio playlist.
The other side, figuratively, of the album is its bluegrass roots. Â Whiskey Strut and Roadkill Jerky are excellent bluegrass instrumentals with catchy hooks and finger snapping rhythms that bring to mind a sunny summer day. Â Eighteen Years is a fun/sad song about getting laid off that’s just as easily a James McMurtry anthem. Â But my favorite of the album is the title cut. Â It’s a story that you just know has to be more truth than fiction about being pulled over by the cops in Mexico. Â It’s got a Marty Robbins feel and just kind of leaves you happy you’re not *that* guy.
Big Trouble is a fun album with a lot of different angles you can listen from. Â In many ways it’s bluegrass for people who don’t like bluegrass. Â It has none of the high lonesome sound that’s just a bridge too far for some folks. Â But it also has enough instrumental highlights to remind you the band has deep roots in all varieties of American music. Â This is a ground that was very successfully tilled last year by Mumford and Sons, and I for one would be happy to hear more bands exploring that tact.
Download these tracks first: Big Trouble, Middle Ground, Whiskey Strut
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.