Artist: Special Consensus
Album: Chicago Barn Dance
Label: Compass Records
Release Date: 5.15.20
Written in a flowing, whirling calligraphy of steely strings and polished vocal harmonies, Chicago Barn Dance is a loving tribute to the Windy City from its favorite dyed-in-the-wool bluegrass sons, Greg Cahill and Special Consensus. It succeeds their Grammy-nominated Rivers and Roads, the 2018 IBMA album of the year, and is every bit as good and true. Of special note, considering the release of Chicago Barn Dance coincides with the long-running ensemble’s 45th anniversary, is the wheeling title track, which whisks its visitors through the storied history of Chicago’s WLS National Barn Dance radio program and the city’s somewhat forgotten affair with traditional Americana. Any revival of that beloved series would have to include Special Consensus, of course.
The show ran from 1924 to 1968 and was broadcast throughout the Midwest, with performances from artists like Hank Williams and Bill and Charlie Monroe, among other luminaries. It was one of the first of its kind, a country music bonanza that predated and heralded the Grand Ole Opry. As the group’s founder and banjo player, the Chicago native Cahill joins together with guitarist and lead vocalist Rick Faris, Nate Burie on mandolin and second lead vocals, and bassist and harmony vocalist Dan Eubanks, plus a host of guests, to revel in rolling bluegrass elegance and synergy, indulging in lively, clean playing that’s not fast or furious, but is intricate, sharp and nimble and travels at comfortable, varying speeds.
And while their vintage sound is steeped in tradition, it’s not entirely an antique relic from a bygone era, although the gospel sway of “I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music” does possess a wonderful old-timey feel. Spinning and tumbling easily through a downhome “Chicago Barn Dance,” the lead song here, Special Consensus picks up hitchhikers Becky Buller and Michael Cleveland, with their upbeat, dancing fiddles working in concert, and off they go riding a blissfully melodic wave of nostalgia. It comes with a sheen of modern country accessibility that’s not at all unwelcome, just as their version of Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah’s ‘70s pop hit “Lake Shore Drive” buffs its bluegrass textures to a silvery contemporary shine, with Special Consensus smoothly and naturally cycling their way through the famed Chicago artery.
They handle other covers with aplomb, giving the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Looking Out My Back Door” an up-tempo jump, with Rob Ickes’ tasteful dobro licks hitting all the sweet spots. Special Consensus treats the Steve Goodman folk hit “City of New Orleans” similarly, letting it race forward with even more sinewy muscle, purpose and drive. Robbie Fulks used to be in Special Consensus, and he wrote the rustic “East Chicago Blues” for this occasion, assuming the role of Bill Monroe leaving pastoral Kentucky for Chicago’s industrial grit and grime. Fulks sings it with organic authority and grace, as the song traces its origins back to Appalachia. Special Consensus probably has kin there, too.
—Peter Lindblad
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