Colebrook Road: Hindsight is 2020
Song List: Mountainside, Back To Where We’ve Been, All You Need To Know, Hindsight is 20-20, Carolina Side, Dry Ground Blues, All of Our Days, Coyote, Dance in Three, Days in the Nighttime.
When a band is nominated for the IBMA Momentum Award, it is a strong endorsement of their sound. Colebrook Road has skillfully blended traditional bluegrass themes and instrumentation with a contemporary viewpoint and an instrumental and vocal blend that is as smooth as moss-covered hillside. Lead singer and songwriter Jesse Eisenbise has a versatile voice that can tell a story, sing praise to the old home place, and lead a group is gospel praise. Mark Rast adds a steady banjo melody and rhythm vibe, Joe McAnulty’s fiddle playing sizzles and soars, and mandolinist Wade Yankey and bassist Jeff Campbell provide the pulse that moves the songs along.
“Hindsight Is 2020” is Mark’s original instrumental, and his banjo starts the song in a clawhammer style and then speeds up with the guitar and fiddle adding melodic flourishes. Jesse’s smooth lead vocals on seven original songs cast a spell on the listener, and the carefully constructed vocal harmonies are wondrous to hear. “All of Our Days” has a stunning a cappella rendition, and “All You Need To Know” has a sensitive lead vocal with a rhythm pulse provided by fiddle, guitar and banjo. Departures of sons and the family left behind is the focus in “Carolina Side,” and while the mom assures the son that he can always come home, the song ends with the son gently saying he has returned to help her on her final journey. Jesse’s sincerity shines through the lyrics, and keeps the song believable. “Coyote” has a faster-paced drive while Joe’s “Dance in Three” flows in a soft, gentle waltz. There’s a wide variety of styles in the songs, and to the band’s credit, each song shines on its own.