Since their 2012 release Carry Me Back, Old Crow Medicine Show has been doing what they do best: writing, gigging, and enjoying the hell out of their lives. They have no reason not to: Carry Me Back charted #1 in U.S. Bluegrass, and they were formally inducted into the Grand Ole Opry last September. Their newest album, Remedy, shows that they aren’t losing speed; if anything, they’re improving with age.
Remedy doesn’t waste any time, diving right into “Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trailer”, a raw, riffy shuffle about getting out of jail early for good behavior and making love the way only a free man can. The impossible-to-dislike call-and-response “8 Dogs 8 Banjos” affirms that Old Crow are here to live it up, listing the good things in life (corn whiskey, hot coffee, sweet tea, dogs and banjos) and romping at an unprecedented rate. “Yes, ma’am, we’re talkin’ happiness here.”
Remedy is multifaceted like different days of the week, and consistent like the knowledge that Sunday comes again right after Saturday. Some songs, like the earnest smirking, tongue-in-cheek “Mean Enough World”, reflect the bluegrass-pop that’s swept the charts ever since Mumford & Sons released their hit “I Will Wait”; unlike Mumford & Sons, though, Old Crow Medicine Show are the original stalwarts of the genre. They’ve seen the waves of bluegrass and folk go and come and go again, and they’ll keep making it with the rich flavor of age that bandwagon bands can only try to emulate.
“Dear Departed Friend” is a perfect eulogy: deeply personal, and just heartbreaking enough to envision the singer not sobbing, but turning away in silence. The lead guitar swells play like birds on a telephone wire. There’s a distinct, much needed moment of silence before the next track. “Firewater” keeps the bittersweet flavor strong – the words are bitter, and the music is very sweet. “It’s a mean ol’ world when you kick to the gutter,” the group vocalists observe, “and the firewater is the one thing to put out the flame.” The stark contrast between the highs and the lows of Remedy are what prove that Old Crow are masters at channeling so many emotions through the same instruments.
“Brave Boys” picks up the tempo with fiery fiddling, and drops into an old-school bluesy narrative called “Doc’s Day”, one of the finest tracks on the album. It achieves brilliance in its simplicity and timeless melody, with clever turns of phrase sung over a simple acoustic guitar and harmonica. In perfect contrast comes the outstandingly fun “Tennessee Bound”, which is sure to have crowds dancing with the abandon of the life on the road. This leads into “Shit Creek”, a roll-and-tumble cut at breakneck speed, half tongue twister and half frenetic devil’s blues. It’s without a doubt among the best songs Old Crow has ever written, and they’ve written some damn fine material.
The album ends with the traditional-style “Sweet Home”, into the true gospel track, “The Warden.” Between the two songs, the ending of Remedy is perhaps the best part. It’s captivating and simple; it’s impossible to skip ahead even a second. “How does the warden sleep at night? Is he a prisoner, too?” the listener is asked. “Are you a prisoner, too?” Then you’re alone with your thoughts, picking them up off the floor where they’ve fallen.
Old Crow Medicine Show have come years beyond just being “the Wagon Wheel band”. They’ve been doing this a long time – Remedy is their fifth album to come out neatly on time, every two years. They’ve perfected their craft, tightened the songs, nailed the harmonies, timed the harmonica and fiddle solos just right. Remedy is the essence of country-folk, and as the band that plays it, they’ve achieved the recognition they deserve.
Remedy Tracklist:
- Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trail
- 8 Dogs 8 Banjos
- Sweet Amarillo
- Mean Enough World
- Dearly Departed Friend
- Firewater
- Brave Boys
- Doc’s Day
- O Cumberland River
- Tennessee Bound
- Shit Creek
- Sweet Home
- The Warden
-Asher Meerovich (@Bummertime)