Austin’s Wood and Wire have taken great use of the quarantine and provided some much needed relief with their September release No Matter Where It Goes from Here.
Trevor Smith rings the banjo beautifully on the opening track “John” as the harmonies of Tony Kamel and Billy Bright resonate in your chest. It’s a passionate take on “seekers, searchers and drifters” where “livin’ ain’t easy when you don’t have money, but money means nothing when you ain’t livin’ free.” The harmonies really drive the song home with the same passion of a Zac Brown or Chris Stapelton ballad.
“Can’t Keep Up” is a dance around in the morning song, which really brings the group back to an outdoor festival feeling of carefree summers and iced tea on the front porch.
“Pigs” is a serious driving track that brings some grit and also reintroduces the theme of money. The first verse concludes “pigs don’t fly, we’re all gonna die and you can’t take your money to the grave.” Kamel sings about a televangelist looking for donations and critiques “it’s a funny world we’re livin’ in full of lies…”
Peter Rowan guests on the track “Rodie’s Circles” and the band truly shows their speed and accuracy in their craft. It has the pace and organic sound of a David Grisman instrumental.
Money continues to be a faint theme that holds the album together with “Spirit of ‘94.” The soft singing on “Home and the Banjo” revives the summer feeling of a John Denver song on the radio. There’s a skipping vibe on “Peddlewheels” that puts a smile on your face.
Wood and Wire have done an excellent job with an enthusiastic release that takes use of the different forms of popular bluegrass structures that can bring many different emotions into the mind of the listener.
-Andrew Blanton