Banjo virtuoso Steve Wilson’s Wilson Banjo Co. is well on its way to establishing itself as one of the early 21st century’s best bluegrass acts. The competition is fiercer than the casual observer may think. This particular corner of Americana music has several budding champions looking to pick up the mantle and carry bluegrass even deeper into the future. Wilson has surrounded himself with a cadre of singers and like-minded musicians who share his musical vision and understand the genre to the marrow of their collective being. This band’s recent spate of releases pushes them to the genre’s forefront and positions them for even greater triumphs to come.
“Black Wedding Dress” is the first single from Wilson Banjo Co’s forthcoming 2025 album. Wilson Banjo Co. wastes no time getting down to business with the song’s straight-forward mid-tempo instrumental attack. Rock music fans may be a little baffled by the setup for bluegrass tracks, constantly listening for the customary rhythm section muscle and finding it wanting. However, percolating rhythms courtesy of Darren Nicholson’s mandolin playing give “Black Wedding Dress” a different spin.
It sounds as if “Black Wedding Dress” came together live in the studio rather than pieced together one instrumental track at a time. Wilson Banjo Co.’s members play with seemingly effortless aplomb, their individual lines wrapping up with one another and producing a seamless listening experience. There isn’t a single audible misstep throughout this cut. It doesn’t linger too long either; Wilson Banjo Co. brings memorable focus to this recording.
Adam Bachman’s dobro playing provides a memorable contribution. The swampy lines of the Delta blues stalwart add character to an already rich narrative without drawing attention away from the other instruments. It isn’t a customary instrument in the genre. The collected talents of the band integrate it into a bluegrass format with their usual skill. It doesn’t sound out of place at all.
The aforementioned rich narrative, thanks to songwriter Avrim Topel, finds new life in this time-tested form. It explores new territory for bluegrass songs while seizing upon some common themes for songs of this style. Topel deserves considerable praise for pouring old wine into new bottles, but Wilson Banjo Co. deserves plaudits as well for recognizing its quality. Song lyrics such as this move the goalposts for modern bluegrass music.
It isn’t a dead language, ala Latin. Quality bluegrass music demands imagination, and a sense of the possible, and Wilson Banjo Co. treats the style like the living form it clearly is. “Black Wedding Dress” exemplifies their approach. It sets the bar high for the band’s pending 2025 release, but there isn’t a single indication in this song that the full collection won’t match, or even exceed, the excellence of this single.
If you haven’t heard Wilson Banjo Co. before, ladies, gentlemen, lovers of bluegrass from every conceivable ilk, take a chance with this new single. Already a fan? “Black Wedding Dress” will remind you, if you need it, why the band’s music attracted you from the start.
Troy Johnstone