O.C.M.S.

The music of OCMS is not traditional old-timey or bluegrass music, you might call it Alt-grass to describe the harder edge and rock sensibility they bring to this genre. Regardless of the name you give to their music, OCMS is a *great* album. I agree with the earlier reviewer who said this album is an excellent bridge for people who are new to bluegrass music. My twenty-something son saw the band on Conan and downloaded this album that night.

I recently saw OCMS in concert (opening for Gillian Welch) and they were on fire. I bought their earlier self-produced live album at the show and I gotta say, I like this studio record better. Their songwriting has matured and their instrumental virtuosity takes a backseat to the song itself. Hightlights are "Big Time in the Jungle", "Wagon Wheel", and the rollicking "Tell it to Me".

There isn't a bad track on this entire CD, buy it and enjoy the talents of these wonderful young musicians.

These guys will awe you. It was so good that I couldn't help but to laugh in spite of myself. The music and energy they projected was incredible. I saw them a couple of weeks ago at a show in Tennessee. It was a private farm, rolling hills, thick tall timber. I had no idea what was in store for me. They ripped up the front porch of that farmhouse with melodies and sheer, uninhibited enthusiasm. Wave after wave of mind blowing tunes, punctuated by the delight of plain old unselfconscious getting down, blasted me to a new level of musical appreciation. They were broadcasting that night, not with a weak radio antenna, but with music. You couldn't get with earshot of the porch without feeling a buzz. That was some powerful stuff.

The night couldn't have been better either, cold with a huge bonfire, a blanket of stars, and the best group of friends you could ever hope to be around. No one was a stranger. Who could have been, really? I kept thinking, where was the rest of the...Read more

Old Crow Medicine Show is derivative, there's no doubt about that. We plainly have five boys who discovered they loved bluegrass and decided they wanted to record some of their own. They aren't mountain children. But we can see that by looking at the cover photograph.

What matters is that they have singled out the best of modern bluegrass to imitate, and they have imitated it with confidence and skill. They're not trying to play their banjos like guitars or making other mistakes I might make in their shoes. Their selection of classic bluegrass tunes, like "CC Rider" and "Poor Man," show they're familiar with the sound of classic mountain music. And original songs like "Big Time in the Jungle" and "Wagon Wheel" blend well with the classic material while still moving the group forward as artists.

An astute listener will spot this for a debut album in a minute, but it's a strong debut full of promise and a show of strong skill. This is No Depression...Read more