Billy Strings is a helluva guitar player and Home is a helluva guitar album that takes you on a whirlwind journey through the world of bluegrass. There are songs that march straight on the traditional path (“Taking Water”), songs that venture into the weeds with a progressive bounce to their gait (“Way From The Mire”), and songs that transcend any genre and take you somewhere deep into the forest to a clearing that has never been seen before by human eyes (“Home”).
The title track “Home” hits especially hard when you consider Billy Strings’ tumultuous childhood. His biological father died of a heroin overdose when Strings was two years old, and after his mother married Terry Barber (an accomplished bluegrass musician who laid the foundation for Strings’ career) both parents alsoo got addicted to meth. As a result Strings left home at the age of 13 where he subsequently delved into his own battle with addiction. In short, he is a man who has constantly been searching for a place to call home.
Music eventually became that home for Strings. I cannot emphasis this enough– the title track is simply one of the best songs I have heard this entire year. The moody minor chords create such a feeling of anxiety, the string work is simply outstanding, and the guitar solo is literally to die for. This is the “Stairway to Heaven” of bluegrass music and I simply can’t get enough.
Standout Songs: “Home”, “Must Be Seven”, “Away From The Mire”
