Mountain Heart Makes Good On Their Sky High Ambitions

While some people might be tempted to typecast Mountain Heart as just another bluegrass band, in truth they’re far more than any simple stereotype would suggest. Five years removed from their previous effort, That Just Happened, the band vary the template, incorporating a rugged southern style that brings easy comparisons to the Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker. To be sure, the group still possesses all the staples of their trade, with banjos, fiddles, mandolin and high harmonies entrenched along with guitars, keyboards and a sound often akin to a basic country rock regimen. However what makes Blues Skies so different from the competition is their willingness to share the spotlight and freely dabble in the kind of material that suits their individual voices. Longtime members Josh Shilling (vocals, guitars,keyboards) and Aaron Ramsey (vocals, mandolin, bass) are still at the helm, but with recent recruits Jeff Partin (resophoinic guitar, lap steel, bass,  harmonies), Seth Taylor (guitar, bajon, cajon, vocals) and the band’s newest member Molly Cherry Holmes (violin, vocals) now on board, the sound is richer and more rugged than ever before. Songs such as “Blue Skies and “Miss Me When I’m Gone” sound genuinely funky to a certain extent, each an indication of their rootsier inclinations. Shilling contributes most of the tunes, but a driving version of Bob Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm” and the gritty Chris Stapleton/Ronnie Bowman cowrite “I Can’t Get Over You” help round out the set, allowing Mountain Heart to flex some musical muscle and possibly expand their audience all at the same time. The title supports those possibilities; the prospects for widespread appeal are sunny indeed.