Press Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Lonesome Gone
Bluegrass Unlimited - May 2008
The Goldmine Pickers are delightfully "on the edge," but which edge? These talented Indiana-based musicians could be described with several tailor-made adjectives. Their instrumentals often have a sweet clarity that brushes up against on old-time style. Vocals are tinged with an edgy, contemporary bluegrass attitude delivered with either a strong Texas swing drawl or a clear easy-on-the-ears baritone. And, then they blow you away with some full-steam-ahead hot picking.

To be sure, the Goldmine Pickers have lots of edgy stuff on their "Lonesome Gone" CD. Take for example, the nine-minute wildcat instrumental "The Split." It's a rousing jam melody until that split comes. In fact, you'll think the jam (as well as the track) has ended and an entirely different, exploratory jazz tune has taken over. But, eventually, it creeps back into jam mode, resuming the original melody for the final couple of minutes.

There's a wealth of music styles on "Lonesome Gone," which makes for an album loaded with interest. "Barroom Waltz," for example, is a poignant ballad about those last few minutes before the bar closes. It's just one voice (Lukas Simpson's), soft instrumental backup, and a story that aches for human contact, proving that less is often more. "Mud," on the other hand, is on the bluesy side, and Jay Lapp's gravelly voice is the perfect vehicle for delivering the philosophical lyrics. And, then there's the lovely "Iroquois Waltz," a beautiful tune that evokes a time long passed.

All tunes (except "Mud") are band originals, giving the Goldmine Pickers free reign to explore their talents and their souls. You won't find elaborate harmonies on "Lonesome Gone," but you will be able to understand the lyrics, a worthwhile trade-off. This is a band for today's bluegrass fan who doesn't mind poking around in fresh, new territory. www.goldminepickers.com
JK

ALBUM REVIEW: Lonesome Gone
SING OUT! Magazine

"The band's web site describes 'Lonesome Gone,' the Goldmine Pickers' latest self-released effort, as 'deconstructionalist,' which is one of those words that almost by definition can mean almost anything you want it to. In the case of this solidly all-acoustic band from the Midwest, it appears to mean a core of old-time music with a healthy overlay of Celtic overtones and plenty of room for unexpected twists and turns along the way. These tangents include the only song not written by one of the band's four members, the Guy Clark/Buddy Mondlock gem "Mud." Guitarist and mandolinist Jay Lapp has a voice that shares some of the same qualities as Clark's and it's one of the album's strongest cuts.

"Lukas Simpson, who shares guitar and mandolin chores, takes the lead vocal on "Don't Leave Me Here Tonight," a tune with something of an engaging Grateful Dead feel to it, and it's also an arresting track. And it's safe to say that you don't often find tunes drawn in spirit from William Butler Yeats ("After Yeats"). The band is rounded out by fiddler Sean Hoffman and bassist Brian Cook, and on both vocal and instrumental numbers, the quartet supplies a nice fluid drive that's never too frantic or too laid back. 'Deconstructionalist' perhaps, but not at all hard to take in and savor."
-JL