Strange Fascination (First Edition)

Strange Fascination is an oddly appropriate title for the 12th studio album from Chatham County Line. The record captures the North Carolinian outfit in a state of transition, moving away from their bluegrass roots and co-founding member Chandler Holt and toward a rougher-edged Americana undergirded by new drummer Dan Hall. Every one of the nine songs on Strange Fascination features Halls percussion in some capacity, but that doesnt make this a rock record. Chatham County Line remain rooted in high, lonesome songs, indulging in waltzes and stomps, but the presence of a drummer means they also crank up a connection with the kind of heartland rock Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers used to make. Station to Station finds the group playing that kind of lean, loping rock, while the title track drifts into the ethereal atmosphere thanks to harmonies from Sharon Van Etten. As with many transitional albums, Strange Fascination is somewhat lopsided, but its raggedness is also its appeal. Two decades into their career, Chatham County are pushing themselves without abandoning their musical ideals, and the results are often stirring. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine