Chatham County Line: Speed of the Whippoorwill

Chatham County Line
Speed of the Whippoorwill
Yep Roc

I've tried starting this review about five different ways, but none of them are going anywhere. Which is frustrating, as pretty much everything about Chatham County Line themselves is about going somewhere.

Maybe it's going home to one's sweetheart, or to prison, or on tour, or fishing, or to "that waiting paradise" -- but there's always the feeling of going, and "Speed of the Whippoorwill" (out May 30) is an exploration of the good things and bad things that go along with following where life takes you. All through the mighty fine medium of bluegrass.

The album's highlight -- probably the best song I've heard all year --is its title track, a gorgeous song about the ache of being separated from your love because of stupid crap like work. Dave Wilson's vocals are beautiful -- straightforward and simple, and probably because of that packed with sincerity. But the rest of the band is just as important in this (and almost every) song. Chandler Holt's banjo work here is tender (not a word I use much when I'm talking about banjo ...) and inspired melodically by a whippoorwill's song. Sounds cheesy, but I promise it's not. It's subtle, and it's lovely.

Throughout the disc, John Teer plays the hell out of his mandolin and fiddle -- he's sensational without being annoyingly showy. He's good at what he does (really, REALLY good), and he prefers to let you see it, rather than chasing you down, sitting on your chest and forcing you to admire.

I think that's sort of what makes Chatham County Line such a great band, and such a consistent band. The band has no stars, and no weak links. More than almost any other band I've seen, they work as one. They work together, taking solos and having fun, but always coming back to cohesion. Proof? When performing live they use one big mic, coming forward and hanging back as necessary. They look at each other a lot during a performance, and not just for cues -- they seem to genuinely enjoy playing together, and to appreciate each other's strengths. And that comes through in their recorded work.

CCL's "Route 23" was on the best-of-2005 list for both me and HW.org's Larry. I can't speak for Larry, but "Whippoorwill" is definitely a strong contender for my best-of-2006 list. While the album is all about moving (whether in the song's themes or the fact that most of the CD makes you want to dance around a little or at least bob your head), one direction it's not headed is off my heavy rotation pile.