Tennessee string band the Glade City Rounders pays tribute to traditional bluegrass and folk. The quartet’s new album, Up the River, is a sweet slice of Americana whose lovable sound mirrors the essence of Southern heritage and a lifestyle long forgotten. The band consists of Tennessee Bill See, Juggin’ Josh Smith, Richard “Squirrel” McLain and Randy “Grandpa” Hill, dedicated players who take pride in their fun, upbeat country jive.

One thing to note is their instrumentation. Everything was cut using a blend of essential instruments that stay true to the roots of bluegrass. One of the first things the listener will notice is a lively combination of guitar, fiddles, banjo and upright doghouse bass. The guys are all talented stringed-instrument players, but they also incorporate distinctive, sometimes whimsical acoustic instruments such as harmonica, jug, jaw harp and kazoo.

Up the River is a bright medley of traditional songs and scratch-made arrangements. The album is a ripe example of what authenticity sounds like. If you listen close enough, you’ll notice characteristics of skiffle, a sub-genre of folk. The band sings together on multiple songs, delivering vocals with a soulful, throaty rasp similar to the vocal texture of Seasick Steve and Billy Gibbons. They’re rough around the edges, but it’s a part of the appeal. Being “clean-cut” isn’t a priority for creating this style of grassroots Americana.

Up the River was recorded at Green Fly Studios, and surprisingly, the album has a clean sound for such a raw style. The band has excellent timing and precision in the pocket. The complex string parts are perfectly in-sync with one another. Recording rapid fingerpicking techniques is a difficult procedure for the player and the recording engineer(s). By the sound of it, Glade City Rounders have a strong chemistry and foster a deep respect for their music. Nothing sounds forced; the whole progression of the album sounds natural.

There really isn’t anything negative to say about Up the River, other than it doesn’t really stand out from a wealth of other bluegrass material, in my opinion. Most have experienced Southern bluegrass at some point. Whether or not someone likes it is a completely different conversation. Personal tastes aside, the album is quite good, although it definitely isn’t for everyone out there. For many people, bluegrass is something they either love or ignore altogether. It’s hard to recommend for those who typically steer away from bluegrass. On the other hand, Glade City Rounders master the sound so well, it actually might be worth pitching as an introduction to people who’ve never experienced bluegrass in its truest form.