The 19th Street Band – Diamond in the Rough
Independent – Out Now
Taking their name from the street they used to live on in Arlington, VA. The 19th Street Band’s new album is a breezy and infectious piece of good ‘ol Americana and bluegrass.
For those unfamiliar, the band’s self-proclaimed ‘eclectic gypsy-rock spirit’ is characterised by some nifty country and rock flavours with a vibrant Irish tinge which belies vocalist and guitarist Caolaidhe Davis’s Northern Ireland background. Caolaidhe formed the band with his future wife Meghan, a classically trained violinist, back in 2014 and, over time, enlisted Greg Hardin on bass and Patty Dougherty on drums to complete the talented four-piece.
The band have been steadily making a name for themselves over the last few years on both sides of the Atlantic with regular appearances at several bluegrass festivals whilst also undertaking an annual tour of Caolaidhe’s native home. Diamond in the Rough is their second album following their well received 2017 release The Things That Matter.
It’s a deft set of hands at play here and Diamond in the Rough is a fun album. It’s clear the band enjoy a party and having a good time and there is no denying the contagious spirit of the recording.
The title of the album comes from the second track Nothing to do (all day to do it), a feisty toe-tapper which builds to a rousing frenzy of guitar, percussion and sax and trumpet (courtesy of Mitch Reilly and Tyler Jaeger).
Opening track, the lively I Just Had To Say, welcomes some neat fiddle and a sweet duet between Caolaidhe and Meghan but beyond the energy and bounce of the opening tracks, the album falls into some familiar tropes. Hillbilly Boy takes us on a drunken ramble tipsy on moonshine whilst Away from our happy home is a fine, if a little dry, bluegrass number. True Love picks up on the joy and vitality of the earlier tracks with a honeyed romance. The enthusiasm from all band members is well present throughout though and there is no denying each track is delivered with gusto and pure bravado.
The last three songs on the album are a special treat. Written by the legendary Philip Donnelly and much missed John Prine, the band were delighted Donnelly agreed to also produce the tracks before his untimely death in 2019. Of the three tracks, Your love is like the Lone Ranger is probably the highlight, a playful little piece of American romance. Donnelly also played electric guitar on several tracks and the album is a fitting tribute to the man known as the Clontarf Cowboy.
If you like your Americana flavoured with rockabilly and with a good dose of Celtic Irish roots thrown in for good measure, then you can’t go too far wrong here. The vivacity and sheer exuberance of Diamond in the Rough is hard to resist. Slip on your dancing shoes on, jump in and embrace the vigour; you won’t be disappointed.
https://the19thstreetband.bandcamp.com/releases