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*** Split Lip Ray eld

NEVER MAKE IT HOME

(Bloodshot)

Yes, the bass player’s instrument of choice is a Ford gas tank outfitted with just one string. And yes, there is a fair bit of discussion of whiskey and trucks in the lyrics. But once you get past the raw and rugged surface, Split Lip Rayfield’s music is informed by surprisingly nimble and deceptively complex arrangements for bass, banjo, guitar, and mandolin; tasteful and inventive playing; well-formed harmony; and great storytelling. “Never Make It Home” captures the forlorn vibe of Appalachian folk andýmurder ballads, with its call-and-response chorus, “Don’t think I’ll ever make it home/Swim that muddy water,” and rippling mandolin. “PB24SS” is a trucking tune that’s perhaps best described as progressive bluegrass. “River” and “Love Please Come Home” are lightning fast and feature the band’s best four-part country harmony vocals. And it wouldn’t be a Bloodshot album without a damned ne insurgent country anthem like “Dime Store Cowboy,” fightin’ words from four Wichita boys staring down a bunch of Hollywood cowboys.

— Nick A. Zaino III