Keep It Simple (CD - 2002)

The Hackensaw Boys are an eight-piece Charlottesville, VA, acoustic string combo (upright bass, fiddles, dobro, mandolin, guitar, etc.) who infuse old-time mountain music with a fiery contemporary spirit. Keep It Simple, the group's sophomore effort, features an urgent collection of old-timey originals that the group burns through with rollicking steam. The Hackensaws' aggressive acoustic attack and no-holds-barred vocalizing (all high barks, shouts, and sweet harmonies) are an appealing combination, particularly on tracks such as the rousing "Nashville," the foreboding "Jonah," and the stark yet affecting "Keep Me Lord." Other highlights include the sweet, fiddle-saturated "Ruby Pearl" and the ragged-but-right "Miner." This is an uplifting and unbridled acoustic album fraught with old mountain strains and contemporary fervor ~ Erik Hage minimize