THE GARRETT NEWTON BAND, “Bluegrass Barn,” Pinecastle. 11 tracks

Garrett Newton, a young banjo player from North Carolina, plays banjo with Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road and fronts his own Garrett Newton Band.

“Bluegrass Barn,” his band’s second release, is a blend of traditional bluegrass and traditional country.

“Take Me Home To Momma,” the first track, tells the story of a musician who learns on the road that his mother is critically ill and tries to get home in time to say goodbye.

The title track celebrates the slower pace of life in rural areas.

“You Don’t Have To Be A  Baby To Cry” dates back to 1950 and recordings by Moon Mullican, Ernest Tubb and Jimmy Dorsey.

And “The Boys Are Back In Town” was a 1976 hit for the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy.

Both songs have been bluegrassified now.

“Back To Hancock County” is about the changes two friends have seen as they age.

“Family Graveyard” is about a farmer worried about losing his farm — and its family graveyard.

“No More Painting Up This Town” finds a man turning down friends’ invitation to party because he promised his wife that he would straighten up.

“Charlotte Breakdown” and “Daybreak in Dixie” are uptempo instrumentals.

And there are a couple of gospel numbers — “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” and “Let The Church Roll On.”

It’s available on Amazon and similar music sites.

 

 

 

STEVE GULLEY & NEW PINNACLE, “High Peaks and New Ground,” Rural Rhythm. 12 tracks

Steve Gulley, a second-generation bluegrass musician, has established a strong reputation in bluegrass.

He spent two years with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, moved on to Mountain Heart, then Grasstowne and finally worked with Dale Ann Bradley before launching New Pinnacle in 2015.

His latest album, “High Peaks and New Ground,” features half a dozen songs he co-wrote, including  the first two singles.

“Real Shine,” the first single, is about a certain drink that has the kick of “a 12-gauge shotgun.”

The second, “Leaning Toward Leaving,” is a blazing tune about a man who’s been wanting to break off a relationship but can’t seem to do it.

The album is partly a greatest hits album.

Six of the songs — “Leaving Crazytown,” “Aim High,” “Not Now,” “Drowned in Sorrow” and “You’re Gone” — are previous hits for Gulley.

The new material includes “Moonshine or The Coal Mine,” a song about the choices for people in impoverished areas of the country; “Even Tho,” 1954 country hit for Webb Pierce; “Just Because You Can,” a song that says that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should; and “The Raging Storm,” an uptempo gospel number.

Look for it at SteveGulley.com.