Dry Branch Fire Squad: Echoes of the Mountains

With its songwriters ranging from Walt Whitman to Jimmy Martin, the first Dry Branch Fire Squad studio album of new material in eight years has a little something for everyone. Everyone who’s a bluegrass fan, that is, because for thirty years the band’s ever-changing lineup has still remained committed to that pure Appalachian sound.

Even their version of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me” sounds straight out of a mountain holler. Founding member Ron Thomason vacillates between the roles of lead singer and band comedian, especially on bizarre track “(You’ve Got to Pray to the Lord) When You See Those Flying Saucers”, which turns country classic “The Great Atomic Power” on its head. Thomason may be a bit strange, but with the help of his three bandmates, he’s made DBFS one of bluegrass music’s most entertaining acts.