New England bluegrass band
Breakaway
has undergone extensive personnel changes since its last album, 1997's
Watershed
. Guitarist
Andy Greene
and mandolinist
Andy Sacher
have left, and since both were also lead vocalists and songwriters this change has had a considerable effect on the ensemble's sound. Remaining members
Scott Hopkins
,
Peter Riley
, and
Gene White Jr.
have regrouped, adding guitarist/singer
Paul Miller
as a permanent member, with mandolinist/singer
Taylor Amerding
credited as a guest but participating as though he was an equal with the others. Thus, the sound has been filled out, but
Greene
's presence as a songwriter is still missed.
has turned more to cover songs as a result, contributing only four originals here, as opposed to the seven on the previous album. For their covers they have turned to some songwriters not usually associated with bluegrass music, including
Woody Guthrie
(
"Pastures of Plenty"
),
Jesse Colin Young
(an instrumental
"Darkness, Darkness"
), and
David Hidalgo
and
Louis Perez
of
Los Lobos
"One Time, One Night"
). None of the songs sound out of place, however, and more traditional country fare such as
Harlan Howard
's
"Water's So Cold"
George Jones
'
"Old, Old House"
also fits in well. The original material -- two
Hopkins
instrumentals and two songs by
Riley
-- is adequate. The result is an album that does nothing to tarnish
's reputation, but leaves them where they were before, a novelty in the sense of being a competent bluegrass unit from a region not usually associated with the music. ~ William Ruhlmann