.

Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver - Burden Bearer

.
There's something about the plaintive quality of bluegrass music that makes the genre particularly suitable for interpreting gospel songs; perhaps it is the juxtaposition of earthy sounds with thoughts of the unearthly and somewhat unknowable world of spirit. It all boils down to a reflective listen here as mandolin master and singer Lawson leads his band through a generous 20-song set of songs ranging from the gospel hoedown of the title cut to the quiet "Best Friends" to Lawson's own "Brother Have You Heard" which is performed a capella in a barbershop quartet mood. Lawson handles lead, baritone and low tenor vocals and he also has three members of his band who join in throughout on numerous other a capella numbers, and these are among the most potent on the album. Set to piano and weepy fiddle accompaniment, the classic gospel of "How Great Thou Art" closes the album.

Share this article

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it Share on Reddit email this article