Strange Fascination
is an oddly appropriate title for the 12th studio album from
Chatham County Line
. The record captures the North Carolinian outfit in a state of transition, moving away from their bluegrass roots and co-founding member
Chandler Holt
and toward a rougher-edged Americana undergirded by new drummer
Dan Hall
. Every one of the nine songs on
features
Hall
's percussion in some capacity, but that doesn't make this a rock record.
remain rooted in high, lonesome songs, indulging in waltzes and stomps, but the presence of a drummer means they also crank up a connection with the kind of heartland rock
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
used to make. "Station to Station" finds the group playing that kind of lean, loping rock, while the title track drifts into the ethereal atmosphere thanks to harmonies from
Sharon Van Etten
. As with many transitional albums,
is somewhat lopsided, but its raggedness is also its appeal. Two decades into their career,
Chatham County
are pushing themselves without abandoning their musical ideals, and the results are often stirring. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine