Two Dimes & A Nickel (Rebel, 2009)

David Davis is still a traditional artist, but here he leads his group into new territory. One can still hear the Bill Monroe influence, but the style is a more modern sound. The repertoire is bluegrass, but they have chosen new songs and writers rather than rely on old tunes recorded many times before.

At the same time, the banjo kick-off and the tight brother duet style singing on the opening cut I've Been All Around This World leave no doubt that Davis et al have not abandoned their heritage. There are murder ballads, outlaw stories, prison songs and a couple of gospel numbers.

The mandolin tone is excellent, just the touch of compression and reverb without being over-produced. All the instrumentation is solid. The harmonies are tight in both pitch and phrasing.

Davis has a reputation as a traditional artist, but this CD is a departure from his old sound. Still old time bluegrass, it is not tired but timeless.