Fort Collins, Colorado 5-piece, FY5 – Finnders & Youngberg are an innovative bluegrass country ensemble comprising of Mike Finders (guitar, lead, harmony vocals), Aaron Youngberg (banjo, pedal steel guitar, harmony vocals), Erin Youngberg (upright bass, lead, harmony vocals), Ryan Drickey (fiddle, harmony vocals, and on “Watch Out For The Blues”) and Rich Zimmerman (mandolin, harmony vocals) plus on “She Wants To Eat The Moon” (as Erin sings a fine lead).
Rapid bluegrass tune “Desert Bluebell” is something New Grass revival would have liked to have done and be duly proud of the song. Footloose, rambling here and there FY5 prod and probe music’s boundaries without them losing focus and with Finders leading the line impressively throughout a high benchmark is set. Swing tune “Back Door” etched in banjo, fiddle, mandolin, flat-picked guitar and upright bass has wonderful ragtime feel, as Finders vocals are escorted by fiddle, banjo, upright bass and fetching harmony vocals
Youngberg outstrips most others with stellar bluegrass piece “What Did I Do” before giving way to Finders’ mountain styled ode “Saint Vrain”. Underpinned with banjo, mandolin and roving fiddle after a calm opening it becomes as busy as Piccadilly Circus, such the inter-change of instruments as momentum is built.
Of a country feel Erin shows off her prowess on beautiful mandolin plied ballad “The Day Is Wide Open”. All are fantastic pickers, and with incisive fiddle, banjo, mandolin and rhythmic bass plus harmony vocals assisting Erin’s lead you get the feeling it doesn’t get any better than this on “After Tonight”. So relaxed and in tune with one another the playing, I also love the mini guitar break as song goes a long way to underline the in-depth quality on all departments.
Possessing a Tim O’Brien feel you have “Watch Out For The Blues” and “Mama’s Cookin’. Though different both are delightful pieces, the first doused in among other things pedal steel while the latter enjoys a sprightly rhythm as Finders’ solid vocals are matched by inviting lyrics, the album’s most infectious tune! What an excellent choice to close the album with.
Maurice Hope