Nashville Sessions
Like a modern-dayNitty Gritty Dirt Band, Leftover Salmon are here to bridge the gap between hippie rock and traditional country and bluegrass. So it may help to think ofThe Nashville Sessionsas a poor man'sWill the Circle Be Unbroken, especially withCircleveterans Jeff Hanna and Randy Scruggs (who produced this record) along for the ride. Leftover invite bluegrass and newgrass heroes and jam-band buddies to contribute here, and the results are as mixed as the musical influences. Clearly, Leftover thrive on the exuberant stomps and chuckles, as on their original "Dance on Your Head" andJohn Hartford's "Up on the Hill Where We Do the Boogie." BothLucinda Williams(on the Cajun-flavored romp "Lines Around Your Eyes") andTaj Mahal(on the gentle "Lovin' in My Baby's Eyes") lead the band through worthy interpretations of their own songs, whileWidespread Panic's John Bell helps turn "Nobody's Fault but Mine" into a sleepy, slow-burning gem. Yet earnestness simply does not become this band, and too many cuts have a poppy sincerity (remember the Dirt Band analogy) that plays away from Salmon's strengths.--Marc Greilsamer