Sci Fidelity Records
2008
Amen Corner
About This Album
Railroad Earth made its name on the jam band circuit with their hard to classify amalgamation of bluegrass, folk, Celtic, country, jazz, and rock, although the band itself says they're acoustic rockers. There's no denying that they rock hard, but on Amen Corner they sound most like a country band with a bluegrass accent. Todd Sheaffer the band's lead singer and main songwriter has a pleasant country/folk/singer/songwriter voice and a knack for crafting subtle melodies that give the rest of the band -- Tim Carbone, fiddle, John Skehan, mandolin, Andy Goessling, guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin, flute, penny whistle, and sax, Carey Harmon, drums and percussion, and standup bass man Johnny Grubb -- plenty of room to stretch out. Skehan's mandolin and Carbone's fiddle play a beautiful harmonic hook to open "The Forecast," a tune that talks about a coming storm but Skehan's mandolin sprinkles that track with flurries of shimmering, sunshiney notes. "All Alone" sounds a bit like the Band with a slow, mournful backbeat, lonesome banjo, and Sheaffer's keening vocal. It sounds like a prayer offered by a man with no hope of being answered by friend, lover or god.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,5,6,8,9 and 12)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

 
report abuse