Edgar Loudermilk has been playing second banana for a while. Of course when Loudermilk is not the centerpiece of a band, you end up with all-star out fits like IIIrd Tyme Out. And him playing second banana to Dave Adkins was one of the most impressive duos in recent memory. But these times are gone. Loudermilk has compiled enough written material and a solid band in order to make his new album Georgia Maple. I think what bluegrass has lost in the last few years are groups where the associated band members realize that they are not the star of the show. Of course there are pros and cons to this, don’t we want a solo, whether backing up Allison Krauss or making a solo album to be as interesting and intricate as possible? Loudermilk’s new album, with Zach Autry on mandolin, Glen Crain on Dobro, Chris Wade on banjo, and Jeff Autry on Guitar, leans heavily on serviceable and subtle musicians to build upon his sounds and it bears good results.
Review: Edgar Loudermilk’s ‘Georgia Maple’
The flashy tenors and solos are nowhere to be found on this album, which I believe is what traditional bluegrass is more about than the material or arrangements. No matter the soloist, each is connected to the melody in a strong way and the tenors are either below the melody or are dropped low in the mix. The reasons are obvious: this is a Loudermilk solo album. This fact becomes extremely apparent especially with Jeff Autry. Where one has usually been accustomed to hearing a plethora of guitar runs either to the four, to the fifth or back to the one, a major of portion of these are taken by the bass instead. While he never gives himself a solo, Loudermilk definitely makes himself felt by constantly pushing beat and for little flourishes like on album standout “Blues Ain’t Comin’ Through My Door”. On this album, if you aren’t listening to the 1s and 5s you’re missing out.
Autry’s solo work is some of the most impressive on the album. While many breaks are simply “serviceable” and all breaks are connected to the head in some way shape or form, this doesn’t limit his ability to bring joy to the listener. “I’ll See You in My Dreams” is a jazz fueled number that allows the musicians to get out of their shells, especially Autry. It’s also very important to notice his background chords are jazz based, which shows that this is seemingly his natural habitat besides bluegrass. This jazz tendency is found in how he opens his break with sliding octaves and then ending the solo with a little bend. His first solo doesn’t even match the nutty nature of his second attempt, which I would consider one of the greatest solos I have heard in any album I’ve heard this year. The use of repetition and common jazz tropes is borderline magical.
On the flip side of this serviceable melody based style that Loudermilk is accenting is mandolin player Zach Autrey. Even on the previously mentioned track does he find his way out of melody based rut. Why I have different standard for each Autry is because Jeff’s tone is impeccable, while the mandolin is not nearly as crisp and precise. So these solos end up verging near the uninspired rather than professional. He is also the most common player for playing Loudermilk’s motifs at the beginning of the tracks which doesn’t give him much wiggle room.
It’s hard to go this long without mentioning the man’s singing, but obviously Loudermilk has one of the most unique and exhilarating voices in bluegrass and that hasn’t changed. Since it is his album you don’t hear another lead vocalist, which for some will be exhausting. Loudermilk can belt and bend and his vibrato is very pushy, which is not a tool that should be in every bluegrass singer’s playbook. There are also tunes that don’t quite meet the standards in level of lyrical quality or musical intrigue. Both “It Must Be Love” and “Dreaming Enough to Get By” are minor missteps that undermine some of the stronger songs like “Harvest of My Heart” and “Homesick Blues”. All in all Loudermilk creates a status update and also a wakeup call for flashier traditional bands out there that miss the essence of a high and lonesome sound.
