Up Around the Sun – Water Valley
I’ve talked in this space before about talented musicians who can seemingly pick up any instrument and play it well. Equally impressive, though, is a radical genre switch. Years back, Tim Kerr used to shred for Austin skatepunk band Big Boys. More recently (i.e. early in our current century), he had replaced the axe with an accordion and three minute slash-and-burns with old-timey Irish tunes. As happens in a musical city like Austin, jam sessions turned into professional relationships, which begat records and tours. Kerr now plays acoustic guitar regularly with banjoist Jerry Hagins under the name Up Around the Sun. Their latest album, Water Valley, is a burst of sun and warmth waiting to warm up your winter.
Water Valley’s first track, “Shove the Pig’s Foot,” is a barn dance-worthy tune that puts Hagin’s banjo front and center, before the pair is joined by fiddle player Beth Chrisman (who also plays regularly in and around Austin as part of Missy Beth & the Morning Afters and Lost Patterns). Vocals are few and between on the record – typically just count-offs before a few tracks – so getting lost in the playing is the true enjoyment of Water Valley. Several of the songs, including the upbeat “Grey Eagle,” also feature Kerr’s warm harmonica playing.
The other key player in the recording of Water Valley is Matt Patton. Most well-known as the bass player for America’s best rock band (Drive-By Truckers), he also plays in several other projects, as well as running his own label, Dial Back Sound. He plays on this record, too, but his key role here was giving Kerr and Hagin space (and a studio) to do their own thing. “Devoted to Lonesome” shows off Kerr’s strumming in a tune much sunnier than its title – perhaps the song’s devotee has found true happiness in being alone. “Prettiest Girl in the County” has the opposite effect. Wistful and lovelorn, with a bit of Irish fiddle styling from Chrisman, the song is much more romantic than your average bro-country come-on. The last track, “Ducks on the Mill Pond,” blends all four instruments together in a spring-ready tune. With its old-time, outdoorsy vibes, Water Valley is an album you’ll want to throw on during the first “warm enough to crank down the truck windows” day.
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “Did You Ever See the Devil” – Guitar, banjo and fiddle in a string band melody that feels as old as time itself.
Water Valley was engineered by Bronson Tew, mixed by Clay Jones and Tim Kerr and mastered by Jones. Up Around The Sun is Jerry Hagins (banjo) and Tim Kerr (guitar, harmonica). Additional musicians include Beth Chrisman (fiddle) and Matt Patton (guitar).
Go here to order Water Valley (out February 7): https://dialbacksound.bandcamp.com/album/water-valley
