The Freight Hoppers have previously gained the interest of many diehard bluegrass fans with their exuberant, infectious, driving old-time music, and those fans should find this album equally rewarding. David Bass on fiddle, Frank Lee on banjo, and Cary Fridley on guitar are joined on this recording by their newest band member, James O Keefe, on bass to present a contemporary, high-spirited set of musical performances inspired by the North Carolina and North Georgia string bands of seventy years ago. Lee and Fridley also share the vocal responsibilities. The Freight Hoppers are highly successful in reaching a blend between the music of the 1930 s and the energy and drive of the present. The effective presentation of these songs cannot by accomplished by a smooth, crooning vocal style, but requires that a certain degree of raw, wild-edged singing be maintained, and this is successfully accomplished by Lee and Fridley.
Excellent musicianship is required and delivered by the four musicians.
The sixteen cuts on the album are drawn from diverse traditional and old-time sources, and while a few should be generally familiar, others are delightful discoveries from obscure recordings. A significant reflection of the relevance of this band for bluegrass is the fact that they were among the final nominees for emerging artist of the year for the 1998 IBMA awards. Bluegrass fans with an interest in old-time music will find this album highly enjoyable. You somehow know they live in 1998 even though their repertoire digs deep into traditional recordings from Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers, the Carter Family, and Benton Flippen. Fridley came to modern old-time from bluegrass out of the church choir.