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Gibson Brothers
Bona Fide
Sugar Hill
By Steve Cooper
 After
three well-received albums for the tiny Hay Holler label, the
Gibson Brothers are poised for bigger things with their first
album for Sugar Hill Records. What helped to put the Gibsons
into this vaunted position was a cut from their last Hay Holler
CD, "She Paints A Picture," an aching ballad that saw
heavy play on bluegrass stations. With wider distribution and
promotion (they are featured in this month's No Depression),
more listeners will learn what bluegrass fans already know --
the Gibson Brothers are good.
The Brothers Gibson are from upstate New York, not middle
Kentucky. Their sound is similar to that of the Nashville Bluegrass
Band in that the singing voices of both Leigh Gibson and Eric
Gibson resemble that of NBB's Pat Enright. In fact, NBB leader
Alan O'Bryant produced one of their Hay Holler releases. The
Gibson band is rounded out by Marc MacGlashan on mandolin and
Mike Barber on upright bass. Eric usually handles the banjo
chores, while brother Leigh plays lead acoustic guitar. The
brothers generally take turns singing lead and harmony, depending
on which one wrote the song.
"The Open Road" leads off and a line from its lyric
provides the album's title: "She's bona fide, she's number
one." The "she" in the lyric is either a woman
or a convertible, I'm not sure which. Brother Leigh wrote the
song and sings lead. The melody is strung along a bouncing,
walking beat and is bluegrass-radio ready. My only beef is its
length, 2:31. When the hook is hooking as fine as this one,
repeat a verse or two and extend it. The brothers' harmony sound
isn't high/low, like the Louvins or the Delmores, it's more high/a
little less high. The vocal methodology is high-lonesome, with
a dash of folk timbre (thinking Bob Gibson or Glenn Yarborough
here), more spirited than morose. There's a troubadour warble
in the voices.
Generally, I don't like songs about grandfathers, but "Arleigh,"
a tune about the Gibson's grandpa on their mama's side, Arleigh
Finlayson, is simple and fetching. The lyric is heartfelt and
moving, if a bit heavy on the pronouns. The pace is a fast waltz,
aided by the percussion of guest player Sam Zucchini on Irish
bodhran, a fitting instrument for a song about "a soft Irish
tenor with twinkling blue eyes." Eric wrote it and sings
lead. His voice is high and expressive, with just the right
amount of cry in it -- a chip off the old Arleigh block.
"Ragged Man," written by Eric, may be the break-out
cut from this solid album. The song is considerably enhanced
by the soaring bow of guest fiddle player Jason Carter. Marc
MacGlashan's mandolin picking is loose-stringed and right. Eric's
banjo provides the main propulsion. The clever lyric tells of
a street-corner bum holding an "End Is Near" sign,
whose message, as it turns out, is more specific than it appears.
This is new bluegrass at its best. The howled harmonies by
the Gibsons at the coda are especially choice.
Brother Leigh wrote and sings "Railroad Line," a
song about a deserted railroad/lumber town near the Gibson's
hometown of Ellenburg Depot, New York, just below the Canadian
border. Leigh's vocal is mournfully dramatic and quite potent.
The key is dropped down the scale a bit, befitting the poignant
subject matter. The harmonies are also in a lower register,
with more emphasis on the heart-tug: "You might think it's
long ago / But I can still see the black smoke roll / Back before
1959 / Back before they tore out the railroad line."
Leigh also comes up strong on "That Bluegrass Music,"
an homage to Bill Monroe's baby: "Oh, no, there's nothing
in the world like bluegrass music / Oh, no, nothin' can touch
that harmony / When you find the beat, brother, you will never
lose it / That bluegrass music." (Yeah, there's a bit of
a lyrical pilfer from Chuck Berry here.) Both brothers and bassist
Mike Barber share the songwriting credit; Leigh sings lead.
This vigorous, anthemic cut could also see heavy radio rotation.
The pickin' and singin' is easily, seamlessly in-the-pocket.
Of the four cover songs on Bona Fide, the Gibsons'
take of Jimmy Martin's "Beautiful Brown Eyes" stands
out. Jason Carter again smokes it on fiddle and Eric's vocal
is high, weeping, and effortless. The vibrant harmonies are
abetted by the angelic voice of sister Erin Gibson, who is also
featured on the album's closing cut, "Lighthouse."
A gospel song written by Ronald Hinson, "Lighthouse"
is a righteously upright closer. Sister Erin takes lead, though
her brothers harmonize on parts of the verses and on all the
choruses. The vocal trading and harmonizing, performed with
intricate grace, takes us to church on a cloud.
*www.sugarhillrecords.com
Contact Steve Cooper at: cooper-at-rockzilla.net
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