Dave Evans has been playing bluegrass for over 30 years and shows no signs of slowing down. At the end of 2002, he released two new albums,
High Waters and
Just Look at Me Now. While both albums would have probably fit onto one disc, the different themes and changes in band personnel seem to warrant separate releases. Whereas the first album takes a closer look at life's hard times, the latter seems more upbeat, optimistic. Dobroist Matt Mauch also brings a new element to the band, adding a touch of the blues to pieces like "Hey Mama, Just Look at Me Now." Mauch's dobro is joined by a nice mix of mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and bouncy bass, providing the perfect backdrop for a catchy set of traditional bluegrass. There's a crack version of "Next Sunday, Darling, Is My Birthday," that's as lonesome and down-home as bluegrass gets. As with
High Waters, Evans has written about half of the songs and they stand up well with the public dominion material. He also handles the lead vocals, injecting a touch of mountain soul into country-blues songs like "Here's Mud in Your Eye," while Gerald Evans Jr.'s tenor and baritone parts add a little something extra to each chorus. Dave Evans and the band deliver bang-up versions of classics like "I Still Miss Someone" and "The Old Crossroads," and even cut loose on an instrumental titled "Buffalo Chips." With
High Water and
Just Look at Me Now simultaneously available, Evans' fans will certainly look back on 2002 as a bumper crop year. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.