Joe Troop is a poly-polyglot. He speaks several languages, notably English, Spanish and Japanese but also Arabic and French. He plays many instruments, most frequently banjo and fiddle. He also mastered, among other things, the Moroccan kamancheh and the Japanese shamisen. His musical style favors folk music from around the world, from bluegrass (U.S.) to flamenco (Spain) to llanera (Venezuela) to minyo (Japan). So it should come as no surprise that he also has a variety of musical projects/groups that are simultaneously active. For his latest record, the North Carolina native turned to a bluegrass group made up of musicians he’s known since they were kids, The Truth Machine.
The EP opens with Billionaires, a very tongue-in-cheek commentary on one of the less controversial topics the record touches. With verses like “they’re sent from God to save a wretch like me”, I can see this being a sing-along at live shows. Running From the Weather is a little more in the progressive style of bluegrass. The banjo picking, and vocal chaos toward the end, lighten up the otherwise sobering message that “there’s bags to pack and flights to book, but nowhere left to go.” Overdrive has an interesting structure with the men’s verses narrating today’s political dysfunction while the women’s verses are heavy on social judgment. Sweet Pea is the only non-political song in the bunch and Joe proudly notes it’s an autobiographical composition about the love of his life. The final cut is Mercy For Migrants. It’s a string band gospel reimagining of a song first recorded on Troop’s Borrowed Time album, that time with help from Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn. It’s a tragic tale of a child’s death while reaching for a better life, and in the shadow of a community that pretty much has everything.
If you’ve seen Joe Troop live in any of his incarnations, including the Grammy-nominated Che Apalache, you know he wears his social and political feelings on his sleeve. Joe Troop & The Truth Machine doesn’t stray from that path. The lyrics will no doubt enrage a few folks and inspire some others. Regardless of that, it’s a solid offering of old-time bluegrass and when you’re ready for some new high-lonesome music check out Joe Troop & The Truth Machine.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.