Easy Pickins CD

Culled from traditional bluegrass songs that would later influence and even appear on O Brother, Where Art Thou?, this 16-track compilation begins with "Cripple Creek," a rambling and somewhat frantic banjo and guitar effort from Bill Cheatwood, before the banjo steals the spotlight. A slower but more intricate picker's tune is "Marching Jaybird" by Lacey Phillips. One asset to the album is the sound quality of these olden songs, especially the clear and pretty "In the Pines," which brings to mind Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch singing around one microphone. The ensuing murder ballad "Banks of the Ohio" is another highlight. But equal to these mountain-music narratives are the toe-tapping instrumentals, particularly Red Boone's "Sourwood Mountain" and without question "Johnson Boys" by David Lindley. After a rather ordinary "Bully of the Town," guitarist Etta Baker breathes some of the Mississippi Delta into the rousing "John Henry." Fans of Doug Kershaw could definitely appreciate the bouncy "Drunken Hiccups" by Hobart Smith. This Cajun-laced feeling continues with the accordion-driven "Molly Brooks" and "Skip to My Lou," both performed by Richard Chase. This album is a very good introduction into this rich and relaxing genre. ~ Jason MacNeil