Although the roots go back further, the progressive, jam grass arm of the itself-upstart bluegrass genre really started hitting its stride about 25 or 30 years ago. One of the handful of bands that’s been around since then is Colorado’s Yonder Mountain String Band. Their 11th studio album, Nowhere Next, has just come out, and in many ways it’s a reflection of the journey they’ve been on and the lessons they’ve learned during that time.
Most of the songs on the record carve out familiar territory with stories of broken (or least tenuous) relationships, fighting one’s personal demons, or learning to take life’s moguls with a little more flexibility. The difference here is they’re flavored by nearly three decades of being a band on the road. So Outlaw, a story of trying keep the romance alive, is couched in the metaphor of a traveling musician being like a wanted man on the run. Crusin‘ is a reflection on the notion that even stressful things can be easy if you do them a lot. In this case, they’re taking some comfort in the routines of travel despite the challenges frequently encountered. The title track, leaning a little more to indie rock than bluegrass, perhaps sums it up best when guitarist Adam Aijala sings that, “fun’s in the alleyway, fun’s on the stage…every town is just a gag reflex.”
Come See Me is a seriously uptempo run through a more traditional bluegrass style reminding the listener that the reason the band is doing this is for the fans to see a show. Like every tune on the album, there’s an opportunity for all the members to show off their chops, and you can almost hear the grins as they show off their latest licks. Speaking of which, Jerry Douglas guest stars on multiple cuts, including the Shawn Camp/Billy Burnette composition, Didn’t Go Wrong. Banjoist Dave Johnston puts a touch of John Hartford delivery in a fun ditty about getting away from a hometown, Leave the Midwest. The disc ends with River, a solid bluegrass ballad that despite the fast tempo still gives off a feel of chilling down by the water.
A whole generation of music fans has grown up accustomed to the idea of a band taking bluegrass instruments and applying them to new arrangements of roots styles from rock to jazz to blues. Then out on festival stages around the country they’d stretch out, and those solos combined with a carefree take on life started adding some flesh to the definition of progressive bluegrass. Yonder Mountain String Band has been on the forefront of that sound since the late 90’s. For a reminder of how much fun that music can be, you don’t have to look any further than Nowhere Next.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.