JennJoy's Full Review: Route 23 by Chatham County Line
Chatham County Line is a quartet from Raleigh, North Carolina that has been getting a lot of attention for its “new traditional” style of bluegrass after only two albums. The band is comprised of Dave Wilson (guitar, harmonica), John Teer (fiddle, mandolin), Chandler Holt (banjo), and Greg Readling (bass, pedal steel). Each member of the group takes some vocal duties, even if only backing up Wilson with lovely harmonies.
Their music is relatively straightforward bluegrass, but the band’s own “new traditional” label fits nicely as they mix old and new. For instance, these four gents play in suits and ties and all sing around one microphone, but their music doesn’t sound too old-timey or stale. Chatham County Line easily pays homage to their roots while still creating music that is current and will surely appeal to wider audiences. Dave Wilson’s voice doesn’t necessarily fit any sort of perfect bluegrass mold, but his pipes are more than adequate and work perfectly with his songwriting style.
Route 23 is Chatham County Line’s second release and the band offers up thirteen original songs and one cover. The disc begins with the upbeat “Nowhere to Sleep,” a rambler’s tale of lost love that shows off the quartet’s individual skills, both with their chosen instruments and their vocals. It’s important to note that, just like singing around one microphone when playing a show, that Chatham County Line recorded everything on Route 23 live.
The group is equally adept at slower ballads like “Louisiana Freight Train” and “Parlour Light,” but it is the livelier numbers like the title track, “Engine No. 709,” and “Make Some Pay” that are the real attention grabbers. Route 23’s upbeat tracks are perfect for singing along and make for great performances in concert. The album also features two instrumentals, “Gunfight in the Durango” and “Sun Up” which serves as nice interludes and a cover of Don Robertson’s “Born to Be With You” which was first recorded by The Chordettes in 1956.
The song topics range among the usual fare - plenty of heartache and lost love, trains, brushes with the law, and poverty. While it’s clear that some of the situations depicted in the songs on Route 23 are not autobiographical, Dave Wilson has a knack for storytelling that easily translates into sincere songwriting. That, coupled with bluegrass, definitely whisks any listener back to a less complicated time.
Chatham County Line seems like a great introduction to the world of bluegrass music and Americana in general for the initiated. They are traditional enough to appeal to diehard fans while still being modern enough to appeal to those who don’t like anything that borders on twangy. Route 23 is an outstanding album that is helping to keep roots music alive and well in the United States - and you really can’t go wrong with this release unless you aren’t at all open to bluegrass music.
Tracks:
1. Nowhere to Sleep
2. Dark Clouds
3. Route 23
4. Louisiana Freight Train
5. Gunfight in Durango
6. Engine No. 709
7. Parlour Light
8. Arms of the Law
9. Sun Up
10. Take Heed
11. Rumination
12. Make Some Pay
13. Saro Jane
14. Born to Be With You
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