GRASS ROUTES - On The Sunny Side Of The Mountain

“On The Sunny Side Of The Mountain” has to be one of the most refreshing albums I’ve heard for a long time. It comes from GRASS ROUTES, who are Roy Bayne, Dave Smith, Murray Wilson and John More, who have been in various bands throughout the years, and bring a wealth of experience to the new group.
As the CD liner notes say, “The roots of Grass Routes are in the 60’s where everyone seemed to be involved in the folk revival, but the next forty years saw the folk bands become country bands, bluegrass bands and rock bands, and musical influences grew to include Flatt & Scruggs, Hank Williams and Gram Parsons”.
Don’t expect a modern sound from these guys. This is real feel good old time bluegrass and western swing. There’s superb fiddle, banjo, steel, double bass and wonderful harmonies.
They are at their best on the uptempo numbers like “Good Ol’ Mountain Dew”, “Lost And I’ll Never Find The Way”, “Corrina Corrina” and “Teardrops In My Eye”, but also add something to the classic ballads they feature , especially “She Thinks I Still Care” and “I Cant Help It If I’m Still In Love with You”.
The band have been featured on STV’s The Hour, and can be seen live on the third Tuesday of every month at The Cedar Inn, Aberdour, with a similar gig on Saturdays at The Halfway House, Kingseat in Dunfermline.
They are also hoping to get back into the mainstream Country clubs, and would certainly be a blast of fresh air, wherever they play.
I loved the album. Superb stuff.