Take four musical friends who played together and separately for thirty-plus years, most of it on the road and supporting everyone from The Pogues to Del McCoury, then pull the rug out from under them, keep them separated and at home, and what do you get. By now, that pandemic story has become the impetus for many records released over the last couple of years. Sometimes though, it takes a little longer to get things just right. That’s the case with the new album from New York’s Brewflies and the extra effort was worth it.
Rain Down Mercy is the name of the release, and it traces a distinct arc through the personal and shared throes of bandmates negotiating a new reality. It wasn’t just Covid that was changing life, but the longer term disruption of societal norms over the last couple of decades. The CD starts with a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s For What It’s Worth and its premonition of change: paranoia strikes deep. It ends with a take on Iris DeMent’s reminder of the value of compassion and empathy, My Life. In between are originals from friend and collaborator Michael Veitch and several additional covers.
You can randomly hit play anywhere and get a string band-tinted ballad or uptempo number that’s age-defying with respect to the decade of its origin. My favorite comes in about midway through the record. A bluegrass version of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic, Fortunate Son, it features Tony Trischka on banjo. As topical today as when it was written over 50 years ago, the privilege that people railed against back then has barely changed. The name of the guy “point[ing] the cannon on you” is different, but not much else. Speaking of privilege, we are indeed fortunate to offer the premiere of Brewflies’ Fortunate Son right here on Twangville.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.