After 2019's Grammy-winning breakout,
Home
, and its similarly progressive follow-up
Renewal
,
Billy Strings
offers up a more traditional bluegrass set that is just as satisfying and ultimately more poignant than its predecessors. Part origin story, part tribute,
Me/And/Dad
is a family affair, recorded in partnership with his stepfather, singer/guitarist
Terry Barber
. The Michigan-via-Nashville string wizard regularly cites
Barber
as his inspiration to become the artist he is today. Following the death of
Strings
' birth father at a young age,
stepped in and the two formed a close familial bond that blossomed into a shared love of music, bluegrass in particular.
gave
his first guitar and steeped his childhood in picking sessions and string band standards. Fast-forward a couple of decades, and
is now working at the top of his game, stretching the boundaries of the genre that made him. On this charming set, he parlays his forward momentum into helping realize a long-held dream of making a father-and-son record. Backed by a veteran crew at Nashville's Sound Emporium, the duo charge gamely through a repertoire of classic cuts, trading licks, harmonies, and lead vocals. The familiarity and camaraderie between the two are a big part of the album's appeal, though
's rougher-than-
Doc Watson
vocals have plenty of charm on their own. Even instrumental cuts like the "Peartree" and "Frosty Morn" have an earthy magnetism to them. With veteran players like fiddler
Michael Cleveland
and brothers
Rob
(banjo) and
Ron McCoury
(mandolin), there's an easy confidence to the sessions that makes its way onto tape. It's solid all the way through and punctuated at the end by a lovely rendition of "I Heard My Mother Weeping," sung in harmony by
and
' mother,
Debra Apostol
. Three albums into a burgeoning career,
could go anywhere at this point, but the mix of time-honored songs, heartfelt nature, and great playing really anchors this return-to-roots set. ~ Timothy Monger