Al Scorch – Circle Round The Signs

Al Scorch was raised in a working class neighborhood of Chicago, this is a blue collar slice of bluegrass Americana that’s adopted a punk attitude. I’m not averse to a touch of rebel country, and I obviously like my punk, but this is a package I had some trepidation about. I find that crossover projects that try to embrace genres at odds with each other are either a revelation, or an utter disappointment. Thankfully the majority of this album is the former. Obviously how much you will like this album will depend on whether you have any affinity for country and bluegrass music, if you don’t then I’d stop reading now, if you hadn’t already.

I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed the majority of Circle Round The Signs. Much of this album features Al Scorch‘s frantic clawhammer banjo technique, if your foot isn’t tapping part way through the opening track, Lost At Sea, then you should check whether you have a pulse. Given the punk / country / bluegrass hybrid that Circle Around The Signs is it should be no surprise that the album contains opinions on social and political issues, However, it’s not all raging against the system, he also touches on getting wasted on the track Insomnia. As these are common themes across all three genres, maybe country and punk have more in common than I thought. 

Whilst this is an album played on traditional country instruments it has managed to embrace the spirit of punk rock, it shouldn’t work, but it does. My main criticism is that the three slower acoustic ballads on this album just don’t work as they break up the barnstorming pace of the rest of the album, but then again I’m rarely a ballad kinda guy.

Pass me the moonshine and lets give Circle Around The Signs another spin.