These boys sure can pick, I thought after listening to a few minutes of this first release from The Biscuit Boys. Boo Walker's banjo and Scott Simontacchi's mandolin take the instrumental leads, blazing and swinging. The rest of the Biscuits are Drew Breakey (bass), Charlie McCarter (guitar), and Steve Sandifer (snare drum and spoons).
On most of the songs, the banjo is at the core of the arrangements, while the mandolin darts over and around the gaps that the banjo leaves. The banjo/mandolin interaction reminds me of the late, lamented Newgrass Revival. Indeed, NGR alumnus Sam Bush guests on one track, playing some sweet fiddle. The guitar plays a solid, steady rhythm, and the bass anchors the whole. Bass solos are not commonplace in bluegrass, but Breakey works in a couple of tasty ones.
Then there are the drums. The purist in me wants to say that there is no place for drums in bluegrass, but I have to admit that I've heard some bluegrass bands use percussion instruments to good effect. Sandifer plays his snare with brushes, producing a timbre that blends in with the rest of the group. My complaint is that it blends in too well -- the snare drum is doing what the guitar and mandolin normally do in a bluegrass group (and they do on this recording, too), although it does make for a fuller sound. If The Biscuit Boys think drums are essential to their sound, then they ought to get more adventurous with them, and take a few chances. There are some all-too-brief moments in "El Cumbanchero" where Sandifer cuts loose, and gives a hint of his capabilities.
The vocals are good, but do not match the instrumental work. The singing is smooth and mellow; there's none of the high, lonesome sound on this disc. The final track, "You Don't Have to Do That", features a dead-on John Hartford impression. It's meant as a tribute, but Hartford's voice was unique (and somewhat of an acquired taste), and if I'm going to listen to someone sound like John Hartford, then I'll pull out a John Hartford recording.
The Biscuit Boys show a lot of potential and I'll look forward to their next release, but this first outing is uneven and rather lackluster in spots; it just doesn't hold my attention
[Tim Hoke]
