Indie bluegrass staples Williamson Branch were not content to simply utilize one style of approach in the recording of their new single “Kentucky Highway.” In this song, they combine elements from their wide range of influences to reshape a style of bluegrass that is somewhat outside of the norm in today’s popular Americana. Starting with a colorful intro that takes equally from vintage grass and contemporary folk concepts the same, the track gradually evolves into a sprawling depiction of the band’s sterling palate, which Williamson Branch pushes to the very limit in both the structure and the production of “Kentucky Highway.”
The mix of this song isn’t as equally distributed as the tones of the band’s sound are, and as a result, the vocals aren’t quite as loud as you might expect them to be. There are a couple of points where they’re having to match the vicious consistency of the rest of the band, which is intriguing because the lyrics are so intuitively relatable to the theme of the music. As the title suggests, “Kentucky Highway” in many ways translates into a feeling of retrospective wandering and adventure, but through a patch of the map we might have traveled before. The articulately designed lyrics get the chance to add to the narrative as much as the shape of the mix does, which is not often the case for a lot of this scene’s output in 2023.
The rhythm in “Kentucky Highway” is unapologetically spot on, and fills the void on occasions where the virtuosity of the strings might have become too overwhelming for some listeners. The tempo is coarse, but not offensively so, and it’s not piled high with so many unique frills that we get lost in the grip of the movement instead of the immersive quality of the arrangement. I like that even when there’s a chance for a specific element here to take over the entire single, every individual component remains a role player that they were intended to be here. It’s disciplined, and perhaps a good standard for this band’s competition to follow.
When we take a closer look at the core string play forming the foundation for “Kentucky Highway,” we can find a slight hesitance that emerges toward the end of the song, but this also feels deliberate. Much like the self-control exhibited in the rhythm, I think that part of the sensuousness of the melody we hear in this song is in its increasingly reserved style of attack. Where some bluegrass singles rely solely on a big lick to seal the deal, the opposite can be said of this track. Here, the strings are yet another weapon at the disposal of Williamson Branch – not the singular soul of their sound.
“Kentucky Highway” is both cosmetically pleasing and intellectually stimulating to the discerning grass fan, but it doesn’t feel tailored only to the needs of connoisseurs. What makes this song a worthy listen for fans outside of Williamson Branch’s target audience isn’t lyrical relatability or even a loveable hook; it’s the calculated shape of its musicality. The bottom line is that if you love great harmony-driven bluegrass, this is a track you don’t want to miss.
Troy Johnstone