Bluegrass, folk and acoustic country from songwriting pair

Grasstowne’s (and Mountain Heart’s) Steve Gulley and Blue Highway’s Tim Stafford have turned their songwriting partnership into a pleasing musical collaboration. Though songs have been their calling card, their bluegrass-inspired duet singing on the opening “Why Ask Why?” is a welcome revelation. Adam Steffey (mandolin), Ron Stewart (banjo), Justin Moses (dobro) and Dale Ann Bradley (harmony vocals) add zest to Gulley and Stafford’s guitars, but the music on this album is a lot broader than bluegrass. “Nebraska Sky” opens like a James Taylor soft pop tune before the close harmonies bring it back to the mountains; “Torches” maintains the Taylor vibe throughout. There are high-balling banjo romps, acoustic folk harmonies, sad country songs, and fiddle-led waltzes that sing of hard times and wistful memories, difficult relationships, and poignant stories of those on the margins. The closing “Angel on its Way,” sung solo by Gulley to Stafford’s acoustic guitar really shows off the craft of their songwriting. It’s always a treat to hear songwriters perform their own songs, especially when they’re as talented performers as Gulley and Stafford. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]