Chattanooga fivesome Caney Creek Company marries bluegrass and Americana
Sometimes a band has to work for years before achieving a sound and identity wholly their own. Other times the right combination of people meet at just the right time and a little bit of magic happens.
Such is the case with Caney Creek Company, a band that grew out of one man’s fascination with the banjo and quickly blossomed into one of the most beautiful acts around.
When a band that has already gained the degree of name recognition and successful shows as Caney Creek Company has on its website the words, “Entering their second year as a full band…” you know they must be pretty damn special and their debut album, Hills, is all the evidence you need.
The band features Kate Bradford on fiddle and vocals, Corey Bradford on guitar, Doug Ford on bass, Drew Streip on mandolin, and Konstantine Vlasis on banjo and vocals. To some degree they have the appearance of a bluegrass band. They have alternately been described as Americana.
Of course, Americana is a term I have lambasted many times for being so widely used as to have lost any real context, so how about a more specific description of their sound?
The instrumentation is in fact, absolutely bluegrass and if no one ever sang a word, the story would end there; bluegrass band, period. Instrumentally they are a highly skilled and entertaining bunch and if there were no more to it, they’d still be an impressive lot, but it is vocally and lyrically where the band sets itself apart from the herd, and it is the key to their unique identity.
Katie’s voice is positively angelic and the lyrics, while retaining some “down home” charm, are contemporary. In fact, “contemporary bluegrass/modern folk” is a good way to frame the band and in that respect, by one definition anyway, they ARE Americana (my problem with the word is that it can mean so many different things).
Konstantine is likewise a talented singer in his own right and his style suits the music perfectly but Katie is the quintessential songbird and her voice makes for a lovely centerpiece in a top-notch ensemble.
The album is comprised of eleven exceptionally well-written tracks. Again, while the vocals are certainly a high point of the production, every member is due much respect for their impressive instrumental skills. The opening track, “Open Up,” positively hooked me and is a fine summation of the various talents that go in to making the band what it is.
“Never Can Grow Old” introduces to the band’s humorous, almost whimsical side. Popping fingers (or handclaps), human whistles and a kazoo might seem gimmicky in another band’s work, but there is nothing gimmicky about Caney Creek Company’s presentation. They are just more tools the band uses to craft their phenomenally listenable and uplifting tunes.
“Tennessee Girl” is a favorite track with its stirring fiddle leads and heartfelt lyrics, a paean to romance. The final track on the album is also the title track, “Hills.” What I say next I do not say lightly. There is so much Dolly Parton in the soul of this song there are moments where you’d swear she wrote and sang it and that, in my world, says more about the skill and talent of Caney Creek Company than anything else I could write.
There is such love in the crafting of their songs, so much connection between the members of the band, so much connection between their music and the listener, it is no wonder this band “now in its second year” seemingly came out of nowhere and is headed straight to the top.
Catch Caney Creek Company at J.J.’s Bohemia on Tuesday, May 16th, at Noon Tunes in July and at the Camp House in August.
Specifics about those later shows will appear in sidebars here in The Pulse and in the meantime go their website—caneycreekcompany.com—and invest in an album that is sure to bring you years of listening pleasure.
Photo by Matthew Bimstein