On their first secular album in six years, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver may not break any new ground, but as always, they do what they do extraordinarily well. Combining layered, often chill-bump-good

Hard Game Of Love

On their first secular album in six years, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver may not break any new ground, but as always, they do what they do extraordinarily well. Combining layered, often chill-bump-good harmonies with bold instrumental verve, the reigning International Bluegrass Music Association Vocal Group of the Year tackles a number of songs that hearken more to old-style, heartbreak country music than to the strict â€˜grassy canon. But whether the repertoire is contemporary or vintage (Bill Andersonâ€™s "We Missed You"), the performance never veers from traditional style and, in that sense, may seem a bit dated to bluegrass fans who came to the genre via Alison Krauss & Union Station, et al., and expect more subtlety in the playing or poetry in the lyrics. However, thereâ€™s plenty of variety with the addition of the swingy "A Thing of the Past," where the guitar accents dart in and out like a flirtatious suitor at a dance, with "The Hand Made Cross," the albumâ€™s only nod to the spiritual hereafter, and with "Oak Ridge Rendezvous," only the second instrumental of Lawsonâ€™s long career. All in all, this is a consistently solid and lively effort from one of bluegrassâ€™s most bankable acts. --Alanna Nash
Country USA
Brand Concord Music Group
Manufacturer Sugar Hill
Binding Audio CD
ItemPartNumber 1
ReleaseDate 2002-05-07
UnitCount 1
Format Import
UPCs 015891394923
EANs 0015891394923

Hard Game Of Love