Leftover Salmon are no strangers to a good time. After all, the Colorado-based progressive bluegrass trailblazers have been entertaining audiences nationwide for over thirty-five years, continually infusing a genuine festival-like atmosphere into their seemingly endless run of convivial live engagements.
Though the sextet of elder-statesmen—consisting of Vince Herman (guitar), Drew Emmitt (guitar, mandolin), Greg Garrison (bass), Andy Thorn (banjo), Alwyn Robinson (drums), and Jay Starling (keys, dobro)—have mostly built their staid reputation on their wildly stimulating concerts, it can also be argued that their studio counterparts are just as formidable.
Featuring an all-star cast of guest musicians and an eclectic mix of brand-new original material that traverses a broad musical spectrum, Let’s Party About It, the group’s latest studio effort, is no exception. And while Let’s Party About It is relatively brief – the ensemble’s eleventh studio album clocks in with eleven tracks at just over forty minutes – the LP still stands out as a celebratory affair and a culmination of well over three decades of first-class songwriting and musicianship.
Interestingly, the group employed a new communal approach to songwriting when they entered Nashville’s Compass Sound Studios to lay down tracks for their latest record. Eschewing the usual method of bringing in individually-penned compositions, most often either by Emmitt or Herman, the band instead joined forces with renowned songwriter Aaron Raitiere (Lady Gaga, Lukas Nelson, The Lone Bellow, Trace Adkins, and more) for a group songwriting session that achieves (mostly) successful results.
The festive atmosphere is in full swing from the album’s opening notes. Thorn’s mesmerizing banjo work, bubbly and rollicking in nature, immediately sets the tone and lays the groundwork for some poignant lyrics from Herman. Emmitt, whose presence looms large over most of the LP, performs a memorable duet with bona fide bluegrass legend Del McCoury on the traditional “Twisted Pine.” Thanks to a goosebump-inducing vocal performance, McCoury brings an authentic touch of the “high lonesome sound” to the track.
An accomplished horn section, led by Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones), adds a heaping of Bourbon Street-informed stylings to Herman’s hilariously endearing ode to man’s best friend, “Good Dog,” before giving way to the fiery instrumental, “Salmon Scales”. With all members showcasing their impressive chops, particularly Thorn, whose banjo acumen here would make Béla Fleck blush, as well as guest fiddler Jason Carter, “Salmon Scales” stands out as an album highlight and promises to become a fan favorite in a live setting quickly.
Thanks to a pair of tender Emmitt-led offerings, “Shine On” and “River Takes Me”, things cool down briefly. Both tracks have all the hallmarks of Emmitt’s most cherished prior material, including inspirational lyrics and familiar melodies, particularly “River Takes Me”, whose anthemic chorus evokes echoes of Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer”.
The aptly named title track finds Coffin and his brass section delivering an old-timey feel thanks to some ragtime-inspired horn charts before giving way to “Mud Season”, which comes dangerously close to pop-country and feels somewhat out of place in an otherwise engrossing and cohesive tracklist.
The album’s homestretch features a diverse trio that runs the musical gamut from traditional bluegrass (“Redbird”) to reggae (“Storms”) and finally to blues (“Gettin’ It Done”). The upbeat “Redbird” pays homage to the group’s bluegrass roots, while the aforementioned horn ensemble transports the listener to the sunny shores of Jamaica on “Storms.” Emmitt’s dramatic vocal delivery on the swampy “Gettin’ It Done” closes things out.
Courtesy of a fresh approach to the studio, and combined with the group’s notoriously diverse influences and musical-craftsmanship, Let’s Party About It proves that, even after more than thirty-five years together, Leftover Salmon still has plenty to celebrate.
