When bluegrassers like
Alison Krauss and
Rhonda Vincent choose good musicians to fill out their bands, it's inevitable that these players will branch out on their own at some point.
Dan Tyminski found an identity separate from
Krauss in the wake of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and now
Josh Williams steps out of
Vincent's shadow on
Lonesome Highway. This guy is so talented that he often plays guitar and mandolin, sings lead and baritone -- all on the same track. He's nonetheless joined by a handful of other players and singers including bassist Missy Raines, vocalist
Don Rigsby, and fiddler Ron Stewart. Like
Krauss and
Vincent,
Williams specializes in contemporary bluegrass, meaning that his vocals on "Killer on the Loose" and "Ol' Brown Suitcase" are closer to
Ralph Stanley II than
Ralph Stanley. Having said this,
Williams is still old-fashioned enough to cover Flatt & Scruggs' "The Legend of the Johnson Boys," throw in an instrumental like "Golden Pond Getaway," and include the obligatory gospel number, "Will You Meet Me Over There." There are several songs, including "Down Another Lonesome Highway," that explore the downside of love, but it would be hard to call this album downbeat. Fans of
Krauss,
Vincent, and
Tyminski will enjoy discovering another new voice on the contemporary bluegrass scene. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.