The Travelin’ McCourys took fans by surprise overnight with the unexpected release of One Chord That Rings True. Though the band has been rolling out singles from the album over the past few years, the full release came as an unanticipated treat, sparking excitement and lively discussion among fans this morning.
How exactly does one of the more supremely talented bluegrass ensembles follow up its Grammy-winning, self-titled debut album?
One Chord That Rings True is the Travelin’ McCourys’ answer.
First, the venerable quintet hit the road - its relentless touring schedule interrupted, only for a time, by the pandemic - determinedly growing and expanding its already-encyclopedic repertoire while, night in and night out, cultivating a seasoned blend of top-shelf musicianship and a telepathic sense of interplay. This, of course, was all underpinned by both the utmost respect for the genre’s historic importance and a progressive sensibility to move it forward. Then, bonded and confident, the five returned to the studio, anxious and ready to capture another bottle of lightning.
And now, half-a-dozen years since that brilliant first effort, here is the Travelin’ McCourys’ sophomore set, One Chord That Rings True. A diverse and exquisite collection of 10 tracks, the album puts on full-display each and every treasured and trademarked Travelin’ McCourys character trait; flash and fluid fretboard work and lockstep, whiskey-smooth harmonies; classic and contemporary song choices; singing and playing as one, serious and smart to soaring and smiling.
Led by the McCoury brothers - Ronnie (mandolin) and Rob (banjo) - with fiddler Jason Carter (his last recordings with the band), bassist Alan Bartram, and guitarist Cody Kilby, the five previewed their return to recording with “Runaway Train,” a single co-authored by the brothers’ legendary father, Del, and released in the spring of 2024. That bright and rambling foray, as well, kicks-off the album, leading nicely into The Waterboys’ folk-pop nugget, “The Whole of the Moon.”
There’s the cycling and sawing, Johnny Cash/Randy Scruggs co-write, “Passin’ Thru,” that nods to the group’s roots, while the narrative drama of the Bruce Hornsby-penned “White Wheeled Limousine” extends the branches, rounding out a most captivating side-one.
On the flip, the record’s second single, “Daydreamer” smolders and then ignites as an opener, fueling aside-two of highlights. Whether the darkening balladry of “Blue Letters,” or the elastic “Why Do I Feel Like Running,” or the wistful longing of “Lonely Night,” it’s one scintillating cut to the next.
The quintet closes out the frame with a cap-tip to Paul Simon’s sly “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” then, with another wink and grin, covers Tom T. Hall’s playful “I Like Beer.” United and true to form, the hallmarks of another winning tracklist are all present and accounted for; akin to one of those Travelin’ McCourys’ live sizzlers that, too, have become the stuff of modern legend.
“What makes this one different is a result of spending so much time touring between albums,” Ronnie says. “We got so used to playing with each other.” Adds Rob, “Once everybody hits it, it’s like, ‘There it is!’”
Indeed, here it is. One Chord That Rings True. The answer from The Travelin’ McCourys.
More about the Travelin’ McCourys:
From a source deep, abundant, and pure the river flows. It’s there on the map, marking place and time. Yet, the river changes as it remains a constant, carving away at the edges, making new pathways, gaining strength as it progresses forward. The Travelin’ McCourys are that river.
Ronnie and Rob McCoury are brothers born into the bluegrass tradition. Talk about a source abundant and pure: father, Del, is among the most influential and successful musicians in the history of the genre. Years on the road with Dad in the Del McCoury Band honed their knife-edge chops, and encouraged the duo to imagine how traditional bluegrass could cut innovative pathways into 21st century music.
“If you put your mind, your skills, and your ability to it, I think you can make just about anything work on bluegrass instruments,” says Ronnie. “That’s a really fun part of this- figuring the new stuff out and surprising the audience.”
With fiddler Jason Carter, bassist Alan Bartram, and Cody Kilby on guitar, they assembled a group that could take what they had in their DNA, take what traditions they learned and heard, and push the music into the future. In fact, the band became the only group to have each of its members recognized with an International Bluegrass Music Association Award for their instrument at least once.
The band is jumping right back into the studio with new fiddler Christian Ward to continue mixing tradition with new sounds, so be on the lookout for new music late summer.
