Bronwyn Keith-Hynes - Fiddler’s Pastime

Bronwyn keith-hynes - fiddler’s pastime

A minute into the first track on Bronwyn Keith Hynes’ new album and I’m smiling so hard my face aches. She makes it clear from that first track what the album is all about - groove induced precision that serves a strong melody with a serious helping of joy driving the whole thing down the track. There are plenty of places where an “instrumental album” can go wrong and suffice to say this album avoids all of the potential pitfalls with style. For starters, there’s no feeling of sameness from tune to tune, due in part to the fact that Keith-Hynes has recruited a few friends to sing on a track or two and when those friends are. Sarah Jaroz, James Kee, Tim O’Brien and Chris Eldridge you’re in for some stellar vocals. It’s a sign of maturity and confidence when an artist shares the spotlight so graciously.

Many bluegrass or new acoustic instrumental albums lean heavily on shredding riffs and leave melody behind. That is not an issue here. The original instrumentals here all feature strong memorable melodies and the players work to bring them to the forefront. That said, there’s some fierce shredding going on in just the right places such as the single “Open Water” where Sierra Hull joins the gang for a full tilt, no brakes, downhill ramble. Wes Corbett acted as producer as well as banjo player for the album and he’s joined by Jake Stargel on guitar and Jeff Picker on bass for most of the album. Their playing is the perfect balance of tightness and elasticity, driving but still with some swing.

Another pitfall avoided is the feeling of an album where the players are assembled to simply play behind the artist. This album sounds very group-like and it would be easy to assume this is a regular working group, the interplay between the players is that intuitive.

Fiddler’s Pastime is one of the best bluegrass albums you’ll hear this year. There’s a diversity and artistry that is top notch from start to finish. Grounded in tradition and moving forward at the same time, this is one to celebrate.