Search - Shiners :: Bonnie Blue

Honest music, homespun tales

loce_the_wizard | Lilburn, GA USA | 07/30/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Bonnie Blue,"the debut recording of the Shiners, captures the down-home memories of folks who grew up in the sticks, walked on dirt road, drank or made moonshine, held dearly to their Southern roots, sided with the losing side of the Civil War, and feared God and the devil alike without fully falling into the clutches of either. The tunes are dominated by banjo, steel guitar, string bass, and of course, lots of vocal harmonies, and sound loose but somewhat troubled, as though an unseen menace lurks just out of view. This music is what one might want to have as a soundtrack if whiling away the hours with a bonfire and keg. The last track, Devil's X, is so much fun it's almost reason enough to seek the CD. The Bridge calls to mind the similar tale spun in Soldier's Joy (particularly the version on Michele Shocked's "Arkansas Traveler." Though the Shiners may not have the cachet of Wilco or the talent of The Gourds, they stick to their strengths, blending bluegrass and alternative country and recapturing fading memories."