The Po' Ramblin' Boys Toil, Tears & Trouble - I Need A Honky-Tonk Angel (CD)

(Rounder Records) 12 tracks, digisleeve

The twelve tracks on Toil, Tears & Trouble show why the band can appeal not only to fans of the traditional bluegrass sound, but also to younger fans of progressive string band music. The album was produced by the band's longtime collaborator Dave Maggard and engineered by 10-time GRAMMY winner Gary Paczosa (Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Sarah Jarosz). The single Hickory, Walnut & Pine was co-written by Texas-born singer/songwriter Slaid Cleaves and Nathan Hamilton. "This song spoke to me as soon as I heard it," says mandolin player CJ Lewandowski. The line about progress and changing times - 'They'll cut down the trees and call the new roads Hickory, Walnut & Pine' - that's spot on and really hit me." Cold Hard Truth and "Bidding America Goodbye," both penned by Jamie O'Hara, are best known for the versions recorded by George Jones and Tanya Tucker, respectively. They both fit the Boys' honky-tonk bluegrass style perfectly, especially the latter ode to trouble on the farm. "It's like poetry with a little music behind it," Lewandowski says. "It captures the feeling of a father sitting at the table reading the letter about losing the family farm."