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Over
the past 15 years, Alison Krauss along with her band, Union Station have
helped bluegrass grow from a The fluidity and ease that Alison Krauss and Union Station have achieved in their creative process resounds throughout New Favorite, which sounds less like the work of five distinct minds and more like that of one heartbeat. “This time around,” Alison says, “everything was much more relaxed. I don’t know if that’s because we’re all getting older, or working with Jerry, or just because we’re more experienced in the studio. The whole experience was just quick, smooth, and pleasant.” Over the course of the album, the variety of styles, influences, and individual contributions blends seamlessly into the indefinable magic that is Alison Krauss and Union Station. The coherence and momentum culminate in the title song, a new Gillian Welch composition that closes the album. The evocative arrangement, built on pulsing guitar chords, swelling strings, and Douglas on both Dobro and electric lap steel, supports a devastating lyric with dignity and grace. Putting herself in the position of the faithful lover left behind, Alison shines in one of her finest vocals ever. “Why do you lie about love?” she asks achingly. “I saw the lights go out.” Choosing individual highlights is a difficult task. “The record isn’t old enough yet to pick out any favorite songs,” muses Alison, “but one has to be ‘The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn.’” The traditional ballad is ignited by Ron Block’s rock-solid banjo, some of Jerry Douglas’s bluesiest playing, and a fascinating multi-tempo arrangement. “Pat Brayer, who wrote ‘So Long So Wrong,’ had it on one of his demo tapes,” Krauss continues. “He did the whole song very slowly. We combined elements of his interpretation with our own.” The song’s woeful tale is illuminated greatly by Dan Tyminski’s impassioned, soulful vocal. All in all, a wonderful listening experience. Highly
recommended! |
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Alison Krauss with Union Station