Catch Tomorrow

A wealth of talent backs truegrass song stylist Dale Ann Bradley on her latest album. Next to Bradley's ever-satisfying vocals, fiddler Michael Cleveland provides some of the most consistently sweet playing on here; Compass Records' own Alison Brown plunks the banjo throughout, while Jim Lauderdale, Larry Sparks, Stuart Duncan and Todd Phillips also rub elbows with Bradley's band. Probably the strongest collaboration comes from ex-Shenadoah vocalist Marty Raybon, who digs deep into the a heartrending duet, "Holding On To Nothing," helping impart as much pathos into it as the Porter Wagoner/Dolly Parton original. Another highlight comes with Bradley's version of Billy Joe Shaver's "Live Forever" which is as eerie and powerful here as in Shaver's original version. Bradley is one of bluegrass music's great hidden weapons, with one of the style's finest voices. She puts her heart into her work, and plays with grit and fire. She also writes some really nice songs, as the remainder of this record amply demonstrates. Slick and twangy, bouncy and smart, this is a 'grass’ album worth checking out.