Published on Dec 23, 2012
When Rebel Records decided to pull together a compilation of Claire Lynch’s work with the Front Porch String Band, they really only had two albums in their catalog from which to pull material. But such is the strength of the songs from those two records that Hills Of Alabam works well.
Claire Lynch has been well known and respected in the bluegrass field for decades, so a compilation featuring her is a good place to spend some marketing energy. For those uninitiated to bluegrass, the Front Porch String Band served as a bridge in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s between the original bluegrass style of Bill Monroe and the more progressive style that is popular today. The Front Porch String Band was occupying much the same progressive bluegrass space in the era as the Seldom Scene was (see my other SS reviews on the DV for more information). These “second generation” artists still stuck close to the traditional line on a lot of songs, but instrumentation and interpretation were different in many cases.
Hills Of Alabam offers some great tracks and Claire Lynch’s voice is superb on all of them. “Hard Times,” Where Dear Friends Will Never Part,” and the gospel track “Come Unto Me” are true standouts. “The Day That Lester Died” speaks to the role as a bridge that the second generation bluegrass artists served, and “Hills Of Alabam” seems produced for country radio. In their sound, those songs stand out somewhat from the sound of the rest of the album. “Wabash Cannonball” demonstrates the instrumental prowess of the group as well. Taken as a whole, Hills Of Alabam is a very enjoyable collection of songs.
“