Della Jane’s Heart

Known for excellent musicianship, unerring song sense, and soulful vocals, Appalachian Road Show has quickly built a reputation as one of the most innovative outfits in acoustic music. The band’s 2018 self-titled debut album served up three multi-week No. 1 songs and established Appalachian Road Show as a force. 

Since that auspicious bow, they have continued to build momentum, and Della Jane’s Heart demonstrates, perhaps more than any of their prior albums, the band’s ability to bring a stellar collection of songs to life with their earthy, urgent picking and chill bump-inducing harmonies. 

The potent songs on this album are worthy of the award-winning musical and vocal talents of ARS members Barry Abernathy (banjo, vocals), Jim VanCleve, (fiddle, vocals), Darrell Webb (mandolin, vocals), Zeb Snyder (guitar), and Todd Phillips (bass, bowed bass). The album was largely recorded and mixed by Shani Ghandi (Sierra Hull, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Sarah Jarosz, Dierks Bentley, Kelsea Ballerini), and was recorded at Peter Frampton’s personal studio.

The title track is a simmering exploration of yearning and passion that gives way to guilt, regret, and despair. As the album opener, “Della Jane’s Heart” sets the bar high – and the album never lets up. “Won’t Be Long,” “Big-Eyed Rabbit,” and “Possum” bring matchless energy fans experience at the band’s live shows.  “Hell Broke Loose in Georgia,” a musical homage to the late Charlie Daniels, is a fiery fiddle tune that defies the listener to sit still.  The band occasionally displays a somber side, as “Me Against the Mountain” reflects on a doomed relationship propelled by a forlorn melody and soulful vocal performance that makes the heartache palpable. Delivered a cappella “Long Time Traveling” is simply stunning. The power in the band’s voices, highlighted by Webb’s soaring tenor, and the shimmering harmonies, are the very essence of mountain soul. On an album filled with highlights, “Virginia Soldier,” penned by Zane Williams, stands out. Abernathy’s lead vocal lends emotional weight to the song’s poignant lyric. It’s a quintessential Appalachian Road Show song – poetic, heartfelt, and timeless. Though less than a decade into their career together, the seasoned musicians of Appalachian Road Show have a chemistry as enduring as the mountains that inspire their sound and as fresh as their combined vision.  Della Jane’s Heart is the latest step forward in a wonderful musical journey.

– Deborah Evans Price –