All American Bluegrass Girl
"All my life they told me 'you're pretty good for a girl,'" Rhonda Vincent sings on this album's title track--a sly dig at the notoriously patriarchal culture of bluegrass, and at critics who qualify her as a "femalebluegrass singer." But like Alison Krauss and Dolly Parton (who adds harmony vocals to the rocking "Heartbreaker's Alibi"), Vincent is one of the elite artists in the genre--period. She's got the awards and Grammy nominations to prove it, but mostly she has her voice--a flawless, instantly recognizable instrument that releases all of the emotion from durable gospel standards like Roy Acuff's "Precious Jewel" and the more contemporary-styled "Forever Ain't That Long Anymore." And she's got her band, the Rage, who rip through train songs like "Rhythm of the Wheels" or instrumentals like "Ashes of Mt. Augustine," which serves to remind us what a hot mandolinist she can be. Along with the archetypal bluegrass themes of home, death, and country, Vincent also has current conflicts on her mind. She covers Byron Hill and Mike Dekle's "Till They Come Home," which captures the impact of war on military families, walking the line between patriotism and unquestioning nationalism. On "God Bless the Soldier," however, she crosses that line with a strained analogy between Christian and military sacrifice. But her sentiments are nothing if not genuine--and she's got the vocal and instrumental chops to bring those emotions all he way home.--Roy KastenMore Rhonda VincentRagin' LiveDream Come TrueTrouble FreeThe Storm Still RagesOne Step AheadRagin' Live(DVD)