Hiyo

On their first few albums, Chatham County Line sounded like a top-flight bluegrass band with some interesting, offbeat ideas bubbling under the surface. 2020s Strange Fascination, the groups last album prior to the departure of founding banjo player Chandler Holt, saw those ideas finally rise to the surface and make their way into the spotlight, and 2024s Hiyo is their boldest departure from bluegrass traditionalism to date. The melodies still show traces of classic bluegrass forms, and fiddles, banjos, and acoustic guitars remain key parts of the arrangements, but producer Rachael Moore has filtered the audio through enough effects to give this a powerfully atmospheric, impressionistic tone, at once ghostly and strangely beautiful, and electric guitars and keyboards occasionally weave in and out of the mix. (The intro to "Magic" suggests someone had Pete Townshends "Let My Love Open the Door" stuck in their head the day they recorded it.) Hiyo often sounds as if My Morning Jacket chose to turn down their amps and make an album suitable for listening to late at night, and its a persona that works for Chatham County Line. The contemplative murmur of Dave Wilson vocals on tracks like "Heaven" and "Right on Time" fits these tracks like another instrument in the mix, and Wilsons guitar, John Teers fiddle and mandolin, Greg Readings bass and pedal steel, and percussionist Dan Hill show how different a journey they can take with the same tools theyve been using for years. Their cover of the Patsy Cline classic "Shes Got You" sounds very different than what CCL did in the past, but the high lonesome mood remains as effective as ever, and the subtle literacy of the lyrics and plaintive strength of the melodies remind us of the strength of the groups songwriting. Hiyo represents a strong stylistic shift for Chatham County Line, but whats new here doesnt feel forced. Instead, the album is the work of a talented, imaginative group bravely stepping beyond their borders, and the result is one of their best, most fascinating works to date. ~ Mark Deming