Cadillac Sky offers fresh progressions
Bluegrass music is often so tried and true. Even some of the so-called bluegrass “power bands” often stick to a traditional mold, adding their own flair and emphasis. Cadillac Sky, however, most reminds me of ground breakers New Grass Revival, a band that flourished from 1971 to 1989 and melded bluegrass with rock and pop sensibilities like no other. In fact, an entire sub genre of bluegrass sprung up, called “newgrass.”
Cadillac Sky likes to describe their music as a mix of country, ska, bluegrass, with “Radiohead-style chord progressions.” But to folks who enjoy progressive bluegrass music, New Grass Revival, is the closest comparison. Their latest CD, “Gravity’s Our Enemy” (Skaggs Family Records), sets them apart from many other groups.
This quintet’s musicianship excels, as does the production by Mike Marshall, but what drives the music is the soul-searching songwriting of lead singer Bryan Simpson. In the truest sense of bluegrass, his words speak of people torn by love, with a reverence for God.
Simpson’s high-reaching vocals, backed by organ in the lead-off track “U Stay Gone,” a song of loneliness and redemption, let you know that you are in for a fresh ride. And while the music can sometimes turn more tender, Simpson’s writing is compelling. “Bible by the Bed,” which offers softer vocals to a slower, countrified Alison Krauss-like tempo, tells the story of an abused wife who gets retribution: “So she always keeps a gun under the pillow and a bible by the bed.”
Some of the melodies get a little far afield from bluegrass, and that’s OK. “Wouldn’t Put It Past Love,” tells of love’s unexpected effects, and musically the band stretches its musical muscle to reflect love’s odd twists, perhaps. Others, like “It Won’t Be Over You,” give a nod to a slightly more traditional sound. But nothing about this band is traditional. Even airy instrumentals like fiddler Ross Holmes’ “The Majestic Swan” seems to drift seamlessly from banjo to fiddle and others, and Matt Menefee’s banjo instrumental “Thank You Esteban” kicks it into high-gear bluegrass, with occasional dashes that reminded me of New Grass’s Bela Fleck.
If you want a taste of the group’s musical versatility, check out a clip in this video of “Inside Joke,” a song from this CD, recorded at the Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival in Cashmere, Washington, June 2008:
And here’s one of my favorites. Not from this CD, but a great tune:
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