Foxhounds And Fiddles

Flashback

2017 - PineCastle Records.  The one thing that I dislike about Bluegrass musicians is that you never know who they are with.  Bluegrass musicians change bands like the rest of us change our underwear.  Nonetheless, every once in a great while you come across a collaboration that is well worth the confusion.  Flashback is that band as they combine the vast talents of Phil Leadbetter, Stuart Wyrick, Curt Chapman, Richard Bennett and Don Rigsby.  This album is their debut project together and consists of twelve cuts.  Among the songs you will find a beautiful instrumental called “Welcome To NY.”  The other thing I dislike about Bluegrass albums are the cover songs and this album is no different as it consists of four covers.  These covers include The Stanley Brothers’ 1961 song “You’re Still To Blame,” The Louvin Brothers song “Let Us Travel, Travel On,” New River Line’s 2005 song “Old Forgotten Home,” and Skip Ewing’s ever popular 1988 hit “Autumn’s Not That Cold.”  I will admit that Flashback show’s their professionalism and respect for each of these covers as they give commanding performances.  When you remove these four songs and get to the heart of the album you will discover the extraordinary writing talents of band member Richard Bennett.  Richard teams up with Shawn Lane to write “Two Rivers,” a beautiful love ballad performed in the traditional mentality. It’s a beautiful song to enjoy with the coming Autumn. The two songwriters team up again to write “Camp Forest,” a fast paced song that reminisces of days gone by.  Perhaps the best song that this duo has written is called “The Hag Song.”  This is one of the most beautiful tributes to Merle Haggard that we have thus far.  Richard teams up with fellow band mate Don Rigsby in the title cut.  In listening to this song, I can not help but wonder if the song is an autobiographical song about the band as it is performed in a exuberant melody and mindset.  The album closes with a song written by Bennett and Scott Fields with “Georgia Back Roads.”  Flashback reminds us of how we can always go home with our memories.  The boys include two songs written by Ronnie King with “Bonnie” a song about the infamous Bonnie & Clyde as well as his song “Old Forgotten Home.” There were two songs that stood out for us add to our list of Top Songs of 2017 and earn a nomination each for the Spirit Award’s Song of The Year award.  These two songs include “Two Rivers” and “The Hag Song.” In the end, this is one of the most talented group in Bluegrass and it should be celebrated.  I only hope and pray that these four men stay together for a while, as I would love to see them perform live! More so, I look forward to hearing more music from them.  However, I do highly suggest that they fill their next album with originals written by Richard Bennett as he is one incredible writer! $$$-$$$$

(This review was printed in the September / October 2017 issue of Strictly Country Magazine.)

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