The Slocan Ramblers
Album: Coffee Creek
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 13
Website: http://slocanramblers.com

There's nothing I enjoy more than a frothy coffee from the smell and taste of the coffee beans to the feeling it gives me to kick-start the daily routine. I decided to make myself another coffee while sitting down and soaking up the latest release from a new name to me in The Slocan Ramblers.

Having set the scene I hit the play button for the sophomore release Coffee Creek from this Toronto based young bluegrass foursome of Frank Evans (banjo and guitar), Adrian Gross (mandolin), Darryl Poulsen (guitar) and Alastair Whitehead (acoustic bass and banjo). This is the followup to their fine debut album Shaking Down Their Acorns and is another collection of tunes with exemplary musicianship and vocals produced by Chris Coole (well known banjoist and member of The Foggy Hogtown Boys). Amongst the thirteen tracks are traditional instrumentals, classic interpretations and very catchy and refreshing originals.

Having recently had the privilege of reviewing the latest from Woody Pines (also for Fatea magazine) it is great to stay on similar modernised old-timey traditional ground. There is a very distinct O Brother Where Art Thou! And Will The Circle Be Unbroken feel to some of these tracks. 'Groundhog' is a fine example of this with lovely mandolin from Adrian Gross and vocals that could easily come from the early Bill Monroe, Flatts and Scruggs or Stanley Brothers period of the 1950's.

There are other moments where The Slocans show their own modern bluegrass side especially on 'Rambling Sailor' where you can imagine being sat in a small harbour front bar watching a great performance while the boats are sailing in. Alastair Whitehead splendidly adds the upright bass accompaniment to the banjo and guitar on this song.

The Woody Guthrie 'Pastures of Plenty' is a great take on this vintage piece and it is finely mixed into the Frank Evans original and his speedy banjo playing on 'Honey Babe'. The three fingered banjo picking style is distinguishable throughout the album and on the title track there's also some effortless clawhammer played with very artistic effect. In fact it is a great introduction to an album full of raw, gritty and infectious bluegrass roots. 'Call Me Long Gone' is a Dave Evans classic and shows the group's fearless technical abilities. They don't just settle for mediocre renditions but they execute and reinvent tunes by putting their stamp on it in the process.

There is a confidence in the presentation of the songs that you will rarely see in groups so young. The only group I can think of who have shown such striking maturity at a young age in the last twenty or so years would be that of Nickel Creek.

Standouts for me on the album are 'Lone Pine' and 'April's Waltz' both being delicious instrumentals. The former is slightly of faster rhythm than the latter but both show the skills of the artists on their chosen musical instruments. I also cannot resist a railroad related song and it's good to see an interpretation of the Roy Acuff 'Streamline Cannonball'.

There are moments for dancing around a burning lit fire of the backwoods near a creek referred to in the title track. There's a Celtic flavour to 'Galilee' and 'Elk River' and you could certainly perform a square or folk dance to these. The group impress further with their song writing and arrangements to original compositions.

I can easily be transported back in time particularly with the instrumentals like 'The Back 40' as it would fit in seamlessly with any of the earliest bluegrass performances. What is enjoyable in this collection is you can move from an old-timey song to one like 'Angeline' that has a more original flavour to it without a flicker of an eyelid. It all seems to fit in perfectly and is a joy to appreciate and experience. Surely The Slocans will be travelling further afield than Toronto following this release even as far as the Appalachian mountains where the music originates or to the Grand Ole Opry stage where the music is commemorated and celebrated.

You cannot fault the musicianship or the vocals on the covers and originals. For only their second album The Slocan Ramblers have honed their skills to perfection. For a group in the infancy of their career there's sure to be more great moments to come and following that I'm sure many awards on the horizon.

Craig Parry