Sometimes I feel like I’m not as familiar with bluegrass as I should be. It’s not that I have no interest in it; in fact, I greatly enjoy everything from the added twang that country doesn’t often bring these days, to the heart and soul of the music, to the aching, high lonesome sound of its sadder offerings. Never has the act of “noodling” been given such a precedence and a prominence (more people should noodle). But when I come to listen to Mustered Courage and their new album ‘Powerlines’ it sounds as friendly, familiar and rich as if I were a connoisseur, and that’s a hard feat. After all, such things can sound alienating to those not well-versed, but perhaps it’s the origins of the group that make them so capable of interpreting music in a more universal fashion. They hail from Australia, cultural and geographical outsiders to the American-dominated music, and sat in my office in England perhaps that’s what endears me to them.
It’s this accessibility that comes from their clever combination of more traditional and modern bluegrass sounds, and having been described as the link between Bill Monroe and Mumford and Sons it’s not hard to see where their appeal lies. Shirking the potential difficulties of “watering down” (in the eyes of purists) such a closely guarded cultural music, they add a dynamic, soulful element on tracks like ‘Cruel Alibis’ and more of a conventional pop underlay on ‘My Hometown’ despite the continued use of bluegrass instruments. But just as their purer bluegrass arrangements (such as ‘Allegheny’) feel warm, earthy, delightful, full of bounding energy and musical virtuosity, Nick Keeling’s lead vocals have the power to turn from the Appalachian to the husky, soulful pop that wouldn’t sound far removed from the mainstream charts. Placed over acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos, fiddles and double bass, this makes for a truly affecting and intriguing melting pot, a rocky groove snaking quietly through the title track and tainting the sounds with a minor key, a jazzy flare and an off-beat rhythm.
But what’s so wonderful still about this album of varied tempos, styles and influences, intertwined with their accessibility, is their handle on songcraft. Each song is catchy, in an infectious, joyful way, and while some songs stand ahead of others in those stakes, every track has a purpose and a chance to invade your mind and fill your ears with goodness. ‘Miss My Ways’ invites you to drink it in, ‘Standing By Your Side’ invites you to dance and ‘Rosa’ (featuring Kasey Chambers) asks you just to sit and let it wash over you. In this way ‘Powerlines’ is interactive, engaging listeners and grabbing them by the hand, a quality which many records severely lack. Instead, this demands that you listen again, such is the level of watertight songcraft, technical ability, mountain harmonies and friendly delivery, the latter of which not an element that can be ignored. After all, part of the appeal of this music is its ability to speak to us, to hang out with us, to impress us without imposing, to fill our souls, really.
It can feel daunting to write about a style of music that only occasionally slots into your playlist. But Mustered Courage’s album is so enjoyable, so interesting, so well put together that I didn’t really need to analyse every last aspect. It’s just a great album, and sometimes that’s all that needs to be said.
