“Arcadia” | Allison Krauss & Union Station

Allison Krauss is a musical marvel. That’s not just my opinion. The number of her Grammy Awards and nominations is exceeded only by some chick named Beyoncé, who clearly appeals to a great many people… me, not so much. I like my music with a touch of twang whenever possible, something Ms. Krauss & Union Station delivers in abundance.

A child prodigy on fiddle, Krauss first signed a record deal at the tender age of 14. Now it’s been 14 years since her last release with Union Station, and in at least one way, they saved a bit of the best for last. The band’s new drop, Arcadia, is the last to feature longtime bandmate, singer-guitarist Dan Tyminski, who was unable to participate due to solo career scheduling conflicts — though one of his songs is covered on the project. Russell Moore joins the band for this album and subsequent tour.

“The stories of the past are told in this music”, Allison explains. “It’s that whole idea of ‘in the good old days when times were bad.’ There’s so much bravery and valor and loyalty and dreaming, of family and themes of human existence that were told in a certain way when our grandparents were alive. Someone asked me, ‘How do you sing these tragic tunes?’ I have to. It’s a calling. I feel privileged to be a messenger of somebody else’s story. And I want to hear what happened.” Krauss also revealed that “Looks Like the End of the Road”, the album’s first single which was released alongside the announcement, was the first track she found, which then made the rest of the record “fall into place”, noting that the song “felt so alive, I could hear the guys already playing it.”

In style, AK&US mines a more subtle vein of bluegrass on Arcadia, with less of the incendiary instrumental work we have come to associate with the band. The overall tone is subdued, even sombre on certain tunes, and free rein is given the world’s greatest dobro player (IMHO), Jerry Douglas, to do as much of what he does best as he likes. His playing is positively transcendent on this album, highlighting why the band’s name is publicized more often than not as: Allison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas.

With their customary string-based instrumentation, one is tempted to categorize this music as much folk or Americana than bluegrass. Fine by me, categories suck anyway. They’re too often arbitrary and inadequate, handy perhaps for pigeonholing artists in reviews, but ultimately irrelevant, if not downright misleading.

On a more personal note, with all the challenges I’m facing in life at the moment, Arcadia comes at a perfect time, and suits my mood right down to the ground. Arcadia is in heavy rotation around these parts.

For those so inclined, here’s a great interview with Allison posted recently by my favorite music demystifier (whose YT Gallery is featured here in StringDancer), Rick Beato: