TBTS Reviews: Sarah Jarosz – Follow Me Down

Delicately beautiful. Deeply connective. The new CD From Sarah Jarosz, Follow Me Down (Sugar Hill), carves her name onto a growing list of artists that are changing the face of country and bluegrass music. They are making their art more accessible and giving a much bigger audience a taste of something fresh by doing something classic, very very well. Looking to up the ante on her sophomore release Jarosz recruited a slew of heavy hitters to help drive her latest work home. Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Darrell Scott, Chris Thile, and Dan Tyminski are all first call session players of the highest order. Although a mere nineteen years old when Follow Me Down was recorded, Jarosz, is no slouch either. She does her part, and then some, picking up Mandolin, Banjo, Octave Mandolin, and Guitar duties herself as she saw fit. As one might imagine, the subsequent product of their collective effort is no less than outstanding.

“Run Away” is already enjoying a good bit of airplay, and deservedly so. “Annabelle Lee” (written as a nod to Edgar Allan Poe last work ), a quality version of Bob Dylan’s “Ring Them Bells”, “Gypsy”, “My Muse”, and Jarosz’s cover of Radiohead‘s “The Tourist” (yes, that’s right – Radiohead) all shine brightly on this stand out album. Jarosz is the kind of musician that constantly pushes her boundaries, reaching ever higher to achieve greater altitude with her latest work. Having attended Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music, she certainly has the chops to fuel her ambition. Her voice is not to be overlooked either. In its light and flowing expression, it is truly a joy to behold.

Follow Me Down should please long time Bluegrass, Country, and Americana fans as well as delighting casual listeners. Sarah Jarosz has given us a wonderful collection of songs here. I look forward to hearing much more from her for many years to come.

Wait, what’s that you say? I listed more than half the tracks on the album as highlights? Oh, I guess I did. Well… I told you it was good.