JOY KILLS SORROW

Darkness Sure Becomes This City

2010-02-25

This Boston-based band takes a bluegrass foundation and adds innovation in both songwriting and musicianship. At times, the cuts seem "old-timey," like the Gary, Indiana* radio station WJKS, from when comes the band's name (cf. "New Shoes" and "We Will Have Our Day"). In other moments, the break from the expected brings added interest and depth (cf. title track, "All the Buildings"). The group is kind of an "acoustic all-star" configuration: the mandolin player is the first-ever graduate from the prestigious Berklee School of Music on that instrument; the guitarist has a "flatpicking championship" under his belt; the primary lyricist is a John Lennon Songwriting Award winner; and the main vocalist won a national Canadian folk music performing honor. Nice that they all found one another. Give this disc a spin. Michael J. 02/10 F-Americana [*How a Gary, Indiana station got away with playing bluegrass might be interesting research sometime.]

Quick Links:

More reviews tagged #Folk

  • reviewed 06/2011

    SMALL TOWN SON
    Burning Good Rubber

  • reviewed 01/2012

    JOHN MCCUTCHEON
    This Land: Woodie Guthrie's America

  • reviewed 11/2016

    Don Gallardo
    Hickory

  • reviewed 01/2007

    SHANE BARTELL
    Too Soon to Say

  • reviewed 01/2011

    JOHN McCUTCHEON
    Passage

  • reviewed 03/2017

    Wyatt Easterling
    Divining Rod

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.