Rivers Roads & Bridges
(independent)
Country music long ago jettisoned the Western swing half of its moniker and it has pretty much left its rural roots as well. These days, much of it is really just middle-of-the-road rock and roll fronted by dudes and dudettes wearing cowboy hats, fringe, and boots. Their material doesn’t come from the heartbeat of America; it’s canned in Nashville.
Maybe it’s time to invent a new genre for rural-based acoustic singer/songwriters and call it “hills and hollows.” What else fits artists such as Linda and Robin Williams or the Western Massachusetts duo Pat and Tex LaMountain?
If you’re looking for recycled hooks, clichés masquerading as profundity, or existential angst, don’t listen to Pat and Tex. If, on the other hand, you enjoy music from folks who actually live in the country, walk in the woods, ride horses, and paddle down rivers, Pat and Tex are your ticket. Forget flash, polish, and spit shine — Pat and Tex make homespun music because they are homespun. A song like “I Will Comfort You” would sound unbelievably hokey from some CMTV duet, but it’s touchingly sweet from life partners such as the LaMountains.
Several songs — especially “Down the River” and “Fly like a Bird” — evoke nature as the antidote to urban and workday woes. Overall, the music is gentle, straightforward, affirming, and honest. It doesn’t make you want to jump up and sweat — it makes you slow down and do the “Sunderland Bridge Softshoe.”
In keeping with the album’s down-home flavor, guest artists include local talents such as John White (bass), Pick Mauran (percussion), Jerry Noble (piano), and fiddlers Chris Bashear and Zoe Darrow. No one’s showing off, just adding texture to the LaMountains’ smooth canvas. It’s hills and hollows music from hills and hollows folks.
