Moonshine Willy – Bold Displays of Imperfection
Is it me or did we all grow up? Two summers ago I went nuts upon discovering The Handsome Family, and a friend said, “You should see Southern Culture on the Skids.” I did, and opening for them was Moonshine Willy. What a hoot! Before anyone ever heard of the Waco Brothers or Old 97’s, there was my heart’s own hill country bluegrass — all punked up, supercharged and decked out like a girl. Ha!
The truth of the traditions behind these bands commands respect, eventually, and it may have made Kim Docter take herself more seriously as well. Moonshine Willy’s new CD proves Docter is still mistress of domestic verite and virtually peerless at the 40-years-in-four-minutes saga, but emerging is an appreciation for dynamics and a newfound gift for working on a smaller, inner scale. “Sky Above Me”, for instance, hears a woman taking comfort in small distractions while suffering the intolerable. “I’ll Be the First” is, similarly, a catchy portrait more than a story.
Most of the songs here, all original, continue to rattle skeletons in the family closet at a pace gleefully inconsistent with the message about how they got there. “Message from the Grave”, a fable involving a telltale tattoo, directs particular attention to Docter’s heavily decorated partner Mike Luke, whose improbably deep voice and purest hillbilly bass perfectly complement Docter’s milky alto and driving rhythm guitar. Docter uses her flair for the timely vocal crack or slide more confidently here, but with no less restraint, her taste distinguishing her among women fronting outfits that twang.
The band’s newfound assurance rewards a grueling touring schedule but may also credit the clockwork and imagination of new drummer Chris Ganey. Rounding out the sound is Rachael Ferro’s fiddling and Nancy Rideout’s reliably unorthodox guitar and banjo riffs.