The Bankesters
Album: Love Has Wheels
Label: Compass
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.bankesters.com/

Someone once said that family bands are the backbone of bluegrass music and there certainly is a tradition of family acts stretching back to the Carter Family, through to the Cox Family,The Marshall Family and to The Whites, who featured on the soundtrack of "O Brother Where Art Thou?".

To that illustrious list we can The Bankesters. Hailing from Southern Illinois, The Bankesters are a true family band, comprising Mum [Dorene], Dad [Phil] and their three daughters Alysha, Emily and Melissa, together with Melissa's husband Kyle Triplett. They have just released their first internationally distributed album "Love Has Wheels" on Nashville-based Compass Records.

Make no mistake, although they may be a family who started out playing music for their own enjoyment, this is a seriously good bluegrass group of talented singers and instrumentalists. As well as being fine individual vocalists, the strength of the band lies in their superb harmony singing. They are equally strong in the instrumental department where Emily plays fiddle and clawhammer banjo, Alysha mandolin and fiddle, Melissa upright bass, Kyle banjo, guitar, mandolin and dobro, while Phil and Dorene add rhythm guitar.

Whilst only two of the twelve songs on the album were self-written [by Melissa and Kyle], the choice of material is such that the album does sound cohesive, probably due the fact that five of the songs written by the well-established songwriter Lisa Shaffer [with various co-writers].

The album begins in fine style with Lisa's "Love Has Wheels". If I had heard this track without knowing who it was, I would have sworn it was by Alison Krauss and Union Station! It's a superb song with Melissa on lead vocals with guest Josh Williams adding excellent harmonies and guitar, not forgetting Kyle's driving banjo work.

Possibly the most "commercial" track [and the one which was chosen for a promotional video] is "Cups", otherwise known as "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone". This song has a fascinating history. It was originally written by A.P.Carter [of Carter Family fame] but it achieved massive exposure [and chart success] when it featured in the hit teen movie "Perfect Pitch" as "The Cup Song". The Bankesters have taken the song back to its bluegrass roots with their spirited version which features Emily on lead vocals and cups [of course], together with guests Sierra Hull on mandolin and harmony vocals and Kenny Malone on drums.

"Love Don't Give Up On Me"is another excellent Lisa Shaffer song which features Alysha on lead vocals with superb harmonies from Emily and Phil. Guest Rob Ickes adds a sublime dobro solo to what is a gorgeous track.

The two original songs by Melissa and Kyle are "Time and Love" and "Found". The first of these was written during a sleepless night when Melissa was trying to get her baby to sleep and is a superb harmony-filled bluegrass number played a breakneck speed, which clearly demonstrates the family's vocal and instrumental prowess.

"Found" is a very poignant song written for "This Able Veteran", an organisation which helps injured veterans and their families by providing them with dogs which have themselves been rescued. The song juxtaposes the situation of the veterans with that of the dogs and is incredibly moving.

Both Mum and Dad get a chance to sing lead, Dorene on the gospel-flavoured "Reluctant Daughter" and Phil on the sensitive observation about Alzheimer's Disease, "She's a Stranger".

The album closes with "Rise Up", a powerful gospel quartet featuring Dorene on lead vocals, with the other members of the family providing harmonies. Jim Hurst adds "swampy" fingerpicking guitar.

In conclusion, this is a superb album by this highly talented family band. If, like me, bluegrass music floats your boat, you will love this. If you are a fan of Alison Krauss and Union Station, try this- you will not be disappointed.

Peter Cowley