Devil in the Seat

The American, Portland, Oregon-based group The Foghorn Stringband are the epitome of what it means to be an old-time group today – extraordinarily hardworking, dependably excellent both on record and onstage and they always guarantee a good time. Over the last decade, they have toured relentlessly, exploring the music of America's musical past. This album – their eighth – shows off four musicians bringing American roots music from the far-flung corners of North America; the selection of tunes and songs is as good as ever.

The album opener, ‘Stillhouse’, is a riotous square dance song that rollicks through the cider stills, while ‘Pretty Polly’ takes the traditional murder ballad to new, dark depths. The fiddle tunes ‘Lost Gal’ and ‘Jailbreak’ show fiddle player Sammy Lind's dexterity and power, while Caleb Klauder's vocals are just pure, honest heartbreak. The female vocals of Reeb Williams and Nadine Landry round out and often carry the songs; the Foghorns have a perfectly balanced sound, in which everyone brings something unique to the music. Needless to say, they all sound like they’re having a very good time. Unpretentious and unselfconscious, Devil in the Seat is a melodic and rhythmic powerhouse of careful collecting and skilful interpreting.