The world of modern string bands like Greensky Bluegrass has quickly evolved into those who can write songs like this album's title track and those who can … well, jam. "Stress Dreams" is a lively personal journey that's front-loaded with string picking but eventually turns into an expansive exploration enlivened by electric guitars, acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ, and a synth-generated background. Rock, bluegrass, folk music, and even prog rock touches make it the showpiece of this well-crafted folk rock album that happily takes its songwriting seriously. While their live shows are energetic and entertaining—and a tune here like "Give a Shit" should quickly become a live standard—guitarist Dave Bruzza, banjoist Michael Arlen Bont, mandolinist Paul Hoffman, upright bassist Michael Devol and dobro player Anders Beck are all reasonably skilled players who know their way around polished songcraft and the art of recording.
Produced by the band, Dominic Davis and Glenn Brown, the latter of whom also engineered and mixed the album, the sonics of Stress Dreams, their 12th album since 2004, has a fine balance between string players and the more modern additions. It's not surprising given that they've always admitted that they came from the rock world—an electric guitar sound (from a Resophonic guitar) comes in early in the opener "Absence of Reason" and howls away as a wordless duet partner in "Streetlight." A welcome new flavor on Stress Dreams comes from the four strong, tuneful folk/pop songs by Devol, including the title track and "Get Sad," whose lovely chorus of "You really wanna feel?/ Get sad"—accentuated by Beck's reverberant dobro—is the album's most melodic moment.
As the band's writer of "meaning" songs, Hoffman says he's not fulfilled "Until I Sing" but worries that "I'm not loving what I'm good at now/ Or not good enough at what I love somehow/ I always feared this might happen/ If I didn't surrender my dreams." Lyrically there are times when Hoffman's angst gets forced and overwrought as in the cliché-ridden, "Cut a Tooth" where "the hand of power fuels the fist of rage." Yet fired by lively acoustic ensemble playing and a genuine bonhomie you can hear, Greensky Bluegrass continues to be among the leaders in adding fresh influences, writing serious lyrics, staying unafraid of pop music, and taking the string band world towards something a bit more memorable and lasting than just jamming. © Robert Baird/Qobuz