| Richmond
Music Journal , July 2003
Slack
Family “Pickin’ Up the Slack” (Planetary)
Bluegrass purists are often offended that
the Slack Family are called bluegrass. That seems self-serving.
Certainly, they play a mixture of bluegrass, folk and acoustic.
Yet, influences from other genres abound. But bluegrass itself
is a combination of musical styles, so passing judgement on
traditionality feels a mite silly. But that's what I've come
to expect from lawnchair-toting fanatics racing across event
grounds at festivals.
The
Slack Family has one of the most calming aimable sounds around,
an ironic description considering the energy with which they
play. Joe Wharff's serene, yet melancholy, vocals, as well
as his taste for somber and subdued songs takes the highspeed
finger-picking into a whole 'nother world.
Andy
Burns and Brian Sulser take over the vocals on the more upbeat
tunes, a place where Wharff wouldn't fit.
There's
not too much to add about this group of extremely talented
musicians. Their playing is superb. I found myself singing
along on six of the fifteen tracks, which ain't bad.
There's
a saying about having just enough slack to hang yourself.
Picking up the slack sounds like a good idea.
-Robert
Stutler
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