Jul 26
Honi Deaton & Dream “Chasin’ Dreams” (Lamon Records)
“Chasin’ Dreams” is Honi Deaton and Dream’s newest project on Lamon Records.
Chasin’ Dreams contains a good mix of original songs and some well-chosen cover tunes. The album contains a good blend of traditional sounding bluegrass, elements of older honky tonk country and some more contemporary bluegrass sounds that will appeal to the new generation of fans who are coming to the genre.
“Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” kicks off the festivities here and Deaton and company do the song plenty of justice. Josh Brooks (banjo), Joe Clark (mandolin), and Andy Ruff (resonator guitar) contribute some really nice instrumental work on this one.
Deaton and the band’s cover of the old Elvis classic “Mystery Train” is worth the price of admission. It opens with the mandolin and resonator guitar growling at a slow pace with the band joining in and building the tempo until it’s at a feverish pace. Deaton finishes off what the band starts, delivering a powerful vocal effort without ever going over the top.
On “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” Honi shares the lead vocal with Andy Ruff whose vocal conjures up comparisons to Randy Travis. The solemn spiritual “Ain’t No Grave” features the very capable a cappella vocal stylings and brings the harmony work of the band to the forefront, that is found throughout “Chasin’ Dreams”.
“Caldwell / Angelina The Baker Medley” is a fine instrumental showcasing the talents of the mandolin, banjo and resonator guitar work of the band.
The closer, “Freedom” penned by Deaton herself, is an up-tempo patriotic-tinged number that’ll leave hardcore bluegrass fans tapping toes and wanting more.
The project’s only two misstep are “The Diaper Song” and “Via Dolorosa”. The Diaper Song, granted the most radio-friendly tune of the bunch, from the opening hook through the melody, sounds way too much like the commercial “country” played on today’s Top 40 stations. Having said that, perhaps it will bring some new listeners to the bluegrass fold.
The arrangement on “Via Dolorosa” suffers from the lack of dynamics in the recording. What could have been a powerful delivery of the tune never realizes its full potential as the passages of the tune that are supposed to reach out and grab the listener don’t , simply due to the lack of any real change in volume until the last couple of bars, resulting in just a slightly thicker sound compared to what should have been the softer sections of the cut.
The ensemble Honi and husband Jeff Deaton have assembled features some very capable musicians and should be a treat to see live. I expect things to only get better with future releases as this band continues to grow and mature.
For more information including extended tour dates, you can surf over to Honi Deaton and Dream’s Website or check out Lamon Records website.
By Travis Tackett
Honi Deaton & Dream Upcoming Dates:
Aug. 10 - Universal Chevrolet’s Pole Barn, Cleveland Ga
Aug. 24 - Gwinnett Historic Courthouse lawn, Lawrenceville, GA
Sept. 15 - Lake Lanier, Shady Grove Campground, Cumming, GA
(No Ratings Yet)
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