Search - Acoustic Syndicate :: Long Way Round

Fusion-rock that establishes a good groove

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 10/24/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 64:26 -- Acoustic Syndicate's second album on the Sugar Hill label continues their journey into a zone that is best characterized as fusion-rock. Really not so acoustic as their name may imply, the band seems to be gravitating towards a more danceable, electric sound. Since their last album, Acoustic Syndicate has added Jeremy Saunders on saxaphone. The rest of the band is Steve McMurry (guitar, vocals), Bryon McMurry (banjo, vocals), Fitz McMurry (percussion, vocals), and Jay Sanders (bass). Special guests include Aaron Price (piano, organ) and Mars Farris (electric guitar, National steel on the opening cut).



The genesis of Acoustic Syndicate may be, in part, due to their association with producer and Texas music legend Lloyd Maines. Their musical maturity has taken them into energetic rock, rhythm & blues, reggae and jazz. I don't hear many bluegrass or folk influences on "Long Way Round." At the nucleus of Acoustic Syndicate's songs are Steve McMurry's lead vocals and guitar playing. With the exception of the title cut written by Larry Keel, Steve and his cousins wrote all of the material on this project. Standouts are "Talk," "The Blue Bird Train," "They Come This Way," "Bound", "and "Been There Again." A few of the cuts span nearly seven minutes apiece, and could have resulted in "Hypocrite Smile," "The Pilot," and "A Prayer for Solace" bordering on tedium but the band's extended breaks, changes in dynamics, and the McMurry's harmonies pull these lengthy numbers off successfully. "The Pilot" is a tribute to John Hartford. A little more of Bryon's dobro in the mix of "A Prayer for Solace" would have been nice.



Acoustic Syndicate establishes a good groove. They refuse to be constrained by musical sideboards, and their growth has taken them further into the realm of rock. Perhaps they'd be better named Electric Syndicate. Steve McMurry once called their music "an accidental evolution," and it has drawn comparisons to Blues Traveler, Bruce Hornsby, early Dave Matthews Band, and Widespread Panic. Their danceable signature vibe has a little banjo, mandolin and dobro in the mix, but it's predominantly electric instruments and drums. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

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