Red Guitar Music

News, reviews and more

  • Home
  • News
  • Album Reviews
  • Live Reviews
  • Features
    • The Baker's Dozen
    • Inside The Song
  • Interviews
  • Tour News
  • Contact
Volunteer packshot_preview.jpeg

Old Crow Medicine Show - Volunteer (Album Review)

April 18, 2018 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Album Reviews, Americana, Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Traditional

Looking back, It must have been four years ago and the fledgling RGM was just starting to get noticed by Pr companies and labels. It was an exciting time; a review of the self-titled Parker Millsap album would lead to an invite to see him open for Old Crow Medicine Show on their UK tour, at The Roundhouse in London, in support of the ‘Remedy’ album. Parker was excellent and he fully lived up to the promise of his record and Old Crow would be up next. Now, to be honest, I wasn’t really fully aware of O.C.M.S. much beyond ‘Wagon Wheel’ but a very quick spin through the highlights of their back catalogue on the day of the show made me think they could be pretty good.  Obviously, as any fan of the band knows, they’re a monster live act with songs and musical dexterity to burn. Needless to say ‘Remedy’ became pretty popular in the RGM office in the days that followed so when ‘Volunteer’ hit the RGM inbox I was very keen to check it out.

Since ‘Remedy’ the band have kept busy and last year released ‘Fifty Years of Blonde on Blonde’ a live recreation/reinvention/tribute to the seminal Bob Dylan record and even hooked up with Kesha for an episode of CMT’s Crossroads show (surely one of the more unlikely pairings the show has seen). For ‘Volunteer’ the band enlisted the help of the producer with the Midas touch Dave Cobb and set up in the legendary RCA Studio A fully intending to make a rockin’ record, hence the addition of Cobb and electric guitars for the first time since 2004.

Old Crow Medicine Show pic bt Danny Clinch

Old Crow Medicine Show pic bt Danny Clinch

Old school fans need not worry about the threat of rockin’ electric guitars as ‘Flicker & Shine’ is pleasingly raucous and traditional and pretty much the ideal way to start an O.C.M.S. album, while the call and response vocal and flying fiddle of ‘Shout Mountain Music’ and the amusing, if totally throwaway, ‘The Good Stuff’ should keep traditionalists very happy indeed. Electric guitars are added to the mix, but very tastefully to add colour and I really like the way the band and Dave Cobb have gone about it. The opening twangy guitar riff of ‘Dixie Avenue’, doubled on harmonica, is just about as perfect an Old Crow moment as I’ve heard.

‘A World Away’ showcases the ability of the band to write a catchy tune that deals with the serious subject of immigration. ‘Child of the Mississippi’ is a pleasing banjo-led stomp, with lashing of harmonica, that paints a vivid picture of the importance of The Big Muddy while ‘Look Away’ could well turn out to be as important to Old Crow as ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ is to Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Two of the finest songs on ‘Volunteer’ are saved for the end as ‘Homecoming Party’ with its echoes of Glen Campbell and those classic Jimmy Webb tunes is followed by a quite lovely bittersweet ballad ‘Whirlwind’ which concludes the record and will no doubt be a highlight of the live show. Interestingly these two songs are split by an instrumental blast of fiddling frenzy ‘Elzicks Farewell’ which is fine but, for me, spoils the album flow just a little.

‘Volunteer’ is done and dusted in less than forty minutes, as all albums should be, but is sure to leave fans wanting more. Old Crow Medicine Show do a good job of juggling their traditional folk and string band roots with a desire to stretch the envelope, something they’re always managed to do very successfully over the years.  This approach and attitude never feels forced and has been a contributory factor to their success as they celebrate twenty years as a band. If ‘Volunteer’ is anything to go by they might just be getting started.

Buy on Amazon
Album Reviews @ RGM
The Speaker Wars (Album Review)
Jun 8, 2025
The Speaker Wars (Album Review)
Jun 8, 2025

Life is full of surprises. At a time when the majority of people would be content to retire, potter about in the garden, and leave new music to the young folks, erstwhile Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch is back with a new band and an impressive new record. The other surprise is that the Italian Frontiers label, usually the home of all things AOR and melodic hard rock, continues a welcome expansion into other musical realms. The Speaker Wars and Frontiers seem like unlikely bedfellows, but the label is to be commended for landing this particular release. More please.

Jun 8, 2025
Jaywalkers - Move On
Feb 27, 2025
Jaywalkers - Move On
Feb 27, 2025

Jaywalkers first came to prominence via an appearance in the finals of the BBC Young Folk Awards in 2008. In the years since, the trio has built a solid following, effortlessly merging folk, country and bluegrass into their particular brand of English Americana via a combination of impressive musicianship, impeccable harmonies and a knack for identifying a good tune. Their latest album ‘Move On’, sensitively produced by Joe Rusby, is an impressive addition to their discography.

Feb 27, 2025
John Surge and The Haymakers - Maybe You Don't Know Me EP
Sep 18, 2024
John Surge and The Haymakers - Maybe You Don't Know Me EP
Sep 18, 2024

To quote John Surge, “These five songs represent a real cross-section of the music we make”. John is referencing a new EP aptly titled, ‘Maybe You Don’t Know Me’. The ‘Almost Time’ album from last year was well received, but Surge still had a host of material that wasn’t quite right for that record but worked well in his live set. A live set that had gotten John noticed on the LA country scene in the first place. Surge re-connected with highly regarded Texas producer Tommy Detamore  {Doug Sahm, Jim Lauderdale, Sunny Sweeney, Jesse Daniel} and reenlisted many of the ‘Almost Time’ crew including his right-hand Haymaker guitarist Randy Volin, plus Brennen Leigh on harmony vocals, Brad Fordham (Dave Alvin/Hayes Carll) on bass, Tom Lewis (Junior Brown/Raul Malo) on drums and Floyd Domino (Asleep at the Wheel, Merle Haggard) on keyboards.

Sep 18, 2024
Richard Marx - Songwriter (Album Review)
Sep 30, 2022
Richard Marx - Songwriter (Album Review)
Sep 30, 2022

From his self-titled, triple platinum-selling debut album in 1987 to ‘Limitless’ in 2020, Richard Marx has had an unerring knack for a melody (not to mention a pretty wonderful voice). Marx's songwriting skills have enabled him to stay relevant throughout his nearly forty-year career. His sound has evolved over time, with the punchy guitars of the late 80s replaced by a smoother, more R&B/pop sound tailored to radio and streaming services. Along the way, his song craft has been in high demand, co-writing and/or contributing songs to a startling array of artists from Kenny Rogers to Keith Urban via NSYNC, Luther Vandross and Vixen. An impressive CV, but where does that chameleon-like ability to pen hit songs come from? How does he do it? Hopefully, ‘Songwriter’ might give us a bit of a clue as we take a journey through twenty tracks encompassing four genres; pop, rock, country and ballads.

Sep 30, 2022
Anna Howie - The Friday Night Club (Album Review)
Mar 24, 2022
Anna Howie - The Friday Night Club (Album Review)
Mar 24, 2022

If anything positive came out of the pandemic for musicians, it could have been that artists had to get inventive if they wanted to be heard. Anna Howie had spent time in Nashville pre-pandemic recording the ‘An Idiots Guide To Love’ EP with producer/guitarist Bob Britt (Leon Russell, Delbert McClinton and Bob Dylan) and attended a songwriting camp with Gretchen Peters. As with so many artists, Nashville had been inspirational, so a return was on the cards until it wasn’t. Undaunted, if a little apprehensive, Anna embraced the world of online streaming to connect with her audience and The Friday Night Club was born. The 28 online sessions would be a great success attracting almost two million views creating an online community almost by accident, offering Anna the freedom to try out new material before an appreciative virtual audience. Those Nashville plans might not have come to fruition, but Anna connected with producer and multi-instrumentalist Lukas Drinkwater (Jacob & Drinkwater, Emily Barker) and slowly but surely, over six months, pieced together ‘The Friday Night Club’ album at his Polyphonic Studio in Stroud, UK.

Mar 24, 2022
Sam Outlaw - Popular Mechanics (Album Review)
Mar 2, 2022
Sam Outlaw - Popular Mechanics (Album Review)
Mar 2, 2022

The press release that accompanied ‘Popular Mechanics’ referenced Kenny Loggins, Tom Petty and Cyndi Lauper, all acts that have a home in my collection, so I was intrigued to hear what exactly Sam Outlaw had in mind on his new album. Listeners familiar with Outlaw and his impressive back catalogue might find the mention of Cyndi a tad incongruous as his previous records had received positive reviews for their take on the southern California country sound. As it turned out, I was pleased to find Outlaw might have taken a left turn, but he was far from lost.

Mar 2, 2022
Noah Guthrie - Blue Wall (Album Review)
Jan 21, 2022
Noah Guthrie - Blue Wall (Album Review)
Jan 21, 2022

In 2022 everybody and their dog is making a record which can be both a blessing and a curse (as the RGM inbox often reminds me). The upside to this situation is the myriad ways to discover new artists, which brings me to Noah Guthrie. Admittedly Noah Guthrie is hardly a new name, as watchers of reality TV talent shows will already be well aware (Guthrie reached the semi-final of America’s Got Talent in 2018) and even appeared in the final season of Glee. Neither of these events popped up on my radar, but late one night, lost down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos, I stumbled upon guitarist Rhett Shull preparing for a gig with a bloke named Noah Guthrie…

Jan 21, 2022
Andrew Beam - Selma By Sundown (Album Review)
Apr 12, 2021
Andrew Beam - Selma By Sundown (Album Review)
Apr 12, 2021

If you like traditional country music Andrew Beam should be on your radar. Raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina as the son of a bluegrass picking preacher Beam grew up in a one-stoplight town where real progress amounted to a second stoplight (yay). Surrounded by music from an early age via the seemingly endless stream of church socials and front porch get-togethers that helped to shape the musical journeys of the likes of Don Gibson, Ronnie Milsap, Charlie Daniels and Randy Travis, Andrew Beam was no different. After graduating Beam became a game warden with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (Beam is an avid fisherman and serious bowhunter) but getting recognised playing shows in local bars wasn't entirely compatible with his day job so, in 2018, he started to explore music full time. Luckily a mutual friend introduced Beam to veteran RCA Victor/Moonwatcher Records producer and guitarist Joe Taylor and the result is Beam’s debut album ‘Selma By Sundown’.

Apr 12, 2021
Morgan Wade - Reckless (Album Review)
Mar 19, 2021
Morgan Wade - Reckless (Album Review)
Mar 19, 2021

For some artists timing is everything. Sometimes it’s because your face suddenly fits and your take on a chosen genre finds a home, but for others, it’s a little more complicated. Raised in Floyd, a small town in Virginia, Morgan Wade was surrounded by the sounds of country, predominantly bluegrass, from an early age. In later years as she began to progress as a singer and a songwriter, Wade struggled to picture her voice alongside the likes of Shania Twain and Faith Hill on the radio “Alright, well, I’m not going to sing for anybody else - but I’m singing for myself”. Wade played publicly for the first time at 19 with a band picked up via Craigslist (probably not something that I would advise all things considered) and the ball started rolling.

Mar 19, 2021
Chris Roberts - Red Feather EP (Album Review)
Feb 24, 2021
Chris Roberts - Red Feather EP (Album Review)
Feb 24, 2021

Chris Roberts’ career path is an interesting one. The Austin native had worked on ranches and construction sites in Texas while laying carpet and even washing cars further demonstrate a willingness to get his hands dirty. Roberts would eventually find business success with the launch of Aspen Hatter a highly regarded hat-making business (I kid you not) in Colorado. Needless to say, he’s got the life experience down and with his debut EP ‘Red Feather’ he’s also got his music down.

Feb 24, 2021
April 18, 2018 /David Vousden
Old Crow Medicine Show, Dave Cobb
Acoustic, Album Reviews, Americana, Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Traditional
  • Newer
  • Older
News RSS
Album Reviews RSS
Live Reviews RSS
Foreign Music CDJapan

Red Guitar Music is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.co.uk and affiliated sites.

Powered by Squarespace