The Goodwin Brothers – The Old, Old House – The Bluegrass Hideaway

The Goodwin Brothers – The Old, Old House – The Bluegrass Hideaway

Though bluegrass still tends to be characterized as staid and traditional. It has a long history of drawing from traditions other than itself. As Bill Monroe himself once said of the style, “It’s got a hard drive to it. It’s Scotch bagpipes and old-time fiddlin’. It’s Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It’s blues and jazz and it has a high lonesome sound. It’s plain music that tells a story. It’s played from my heart to your heart. It will touch you.” (end quote)

Despite releasing an album in a genre known to spark arguments over what counts as “authentic”. The Goodwin Brothers seem far more concerned with realizing their own vision. Then hewing to hard-line convention. Like sticking to a strict repertoire of mostly traditional bluegrass songs and standards. The arrival of this project seems to speak all these languages at once: unafraid to push the boundaries of its primary genre and packing the musical chops to bring such an eclectic vision to life.

That makes The Goodwin Brothers and their debut album a critical point along a storied timeline. One whose innovations offer countless connections between the genre’s origins and its future. We can only hope that this project. These harmonies, and this music hints at what they’ll be doing in the coming years.