Cherryholmes Record Review

Cherryholmes
Cherryholmes
Skaggs Family Records
BY JOE ROSS

The Cherryholmes pendulum of repertoire swings from Bill Monroe, Tallahassee, to The Dirt Band, Workin’ Man, and Hazel Dickens, Workin’ Girl Blues, to The Louvin Brothers, No One To Sing For Me. Karen Rochelle’s He Goes To Church imparts a powerful message that it’s never too late to pursue salvation. So there are influences from old-time mountain, bluegrass, classic country and gospel sounds. Their original songs are equally varied with inspiration that covers the traditional music map. Twin fiddles and the bouncing 3/4 beat give Heart As Cold As Stone a definitive Monroe-esque feeling, while Makin’ Time is an uptempo and catchy song that could’ve been covered by Jimmy martin before his death. Will I Be The Winner? and Brand New Heartache have classic country sensibilities. Jeff Taylor’s whistle and accordion are added into the mix on the Celtic-flavored medley of some more originals. Shelly In The Heather and Linda’s Reel. Thematically, they clearly understand the roots of the music when they compose and present a nicely arranged song like Red Satin Dress, a murder ballad that only slightly suffers from the vocals not being as high and lonesome as we’re used to in such numbers. While there are many lead vocalists in this family band, Cia Leigh is the most expressive and evocative on a straightforward original like Don’t Fall In Love. Among very stiff competition she garnered a first-round nomination as IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year. As a unit all six band members sing a capella on the album closer.

Besides their impressive songwriting and singing, The Cherryholmes demonstrate consumate instrumental skills that certainly belie their ages. Coastline is a fiery and frantic tune that swirls like its inspiration, the hurricane of 2004. They range from 13-year-old fiddling Molly Kate on up to the bass playing patriarch of the unit, Jere. The other kids are Cia, B.J. and Skip, masterfully play banjo, fiddle and guitar, respectively. Their home-schooling mother, Sandy, plays mandolin. BMP