Not everyone embraces the use of the word Americana to describe the genre(s) of music that make up the typical Twangvillian playlist, especially when it includes certain strains of country music. But when a record touches on gospel, bluegrass, Dixieland, R&B, and jazz…what else are you going to call it? That’s exactly the case with the third album from New York City band, The Scooches. Entitled Lift You Up, it offers a collection of positive reinforcement lyrical messages and social commentary set to variety of musical styles. Yet it all comes together in a cohesive fashion.
A common thread throughout is front woman, primary songwriter, and lead singer Betina Hershey. Her crystalline vocals over the top of guitarist Nick Russo’s resonator give a bluesy intro to Let’s Grow Our Roots Deep and True, a call to find your community and build the relationships to make yourself one with it. On What’s Meant to Last Will Last, Russo turns to banjo, and with Hershey’s oh-so-smooth delivery, flips what starts as a Dixieland number into a dance tune for the F. Scott Fitzgerald crowd. I Broke the Egg is not quite bluegrass and not quite country. Leavin‘ is full-on soul and R&B with a clear gospel influence. Also in that R&B vein is Give It to Me Real, featuring Miles Griffith’s extemporaneous jazz vocal stylings.
Not content to just tackle American musical options, the group goes world beat on Stop This Climate Change, an encouragement to not just acknowledge what’s happening, but to go out and do something about it. Putting their money where their mouth is, a portion of the proceeds from that single go to the Sierra Club. Hershey puts on her French chanteuse with Open a Door. The title track takes you on a journey with Griffith’s vocal chords as co-traveler in a ska/euro-pop composition.
I’m hard pressed to think of any musician or band with a mastery of as many different styles as The Scooches. Like an improv troupe, it seems all they need is a snippet of an idea and they run with it in a surprising direction. I witnessed that first-hand at this year’s Folk Alliance. In one of those in-the-round settings, Hershey and Griffith jumped in under Jackson Emmer’s country ballad and turned it into cowboy doo-wop. Lift You Up gives you a very satisfying taste of that amazing ability.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.