ALBUM REVIEW: Dan Tyminski Gets Back to Bluegrass on ‘God Fearing Heathen’
Henry Carrigan
Posted On June 21, 2023
On 2017’s Southern Gothic, Dan Tyminski headed down the roots music trail, and on last year’s One More Time Before You Go (ND story), he paid tribute to one of his dear friends and one of bluegrass and roots music’s greatest guitarists, Tony Rice. On God Fearing Heathen, Tyminski delivers his first bluegrass album in 15 years. He’s joined on the album by his top-flight band: Gaven Largent on dobro, Maddie Denton on fiddle, Harry Clark on mandolin, Grace Davis on bass, and Jason Davis on banjo.
Dan Tyminski (photo by Jeff Fasano)
Nestled in a bed of crisp banjo runs, Tyminski’s high lonesome vocals on the minor-chord “Never Comin’ Home” evoke the singer’s disbelief when he realizes that his lover’s really leaving this time and never coming back. The singer’s life is in shambles — the couple’s friends won’t speak to him, the lover’s mother changed her phone number — but the singer seems to accept her leaving as a matter of fact.
The poignant title track features Tyminski’s raspy baritone floating over his cascading guitar strums; the sparseness of the track conveys the singer’s emotional and spiritual affirmation that heaven’s big enough to hold both saints and “God-fearing heathen” like him. The lilting “No Song to Sing,” on which every instrument has a chance to stretch out, pays homage to bluegrass: “If not for the bluegrass way back in these hills / If not for those high lonesome strings / I’d have no love to call my own / I’d have no song to sing.” With its instrumental beauty and shimmering harmonies, it may be the highlight of the album.
The rambling, sprightly “Keep Your Eye on Kentucky” is an ode to good old Kentucky bourbon and front porch bluegrass, while the careening “Never Met a Stranger” — propelled by Denton’s high-octane fiddling — celebrates life on the road. The album closes with a frisky front porch jam on “Ode to Jimmy Martin,” a tribute to one of bluegrass’ greatest guitarists: “He’d play it high and lonesome, beat that guitar half to death / And when he’d hit the high notes that whole crowd would hold their breath.”
Every song on God Fearing Heathen, including a supercharged version of “Hey Brother,” a 2013 hit from Swedish DJ Avicii featuring Tyminski’s vocals, shines with radiant vocals, sparkling instrumentation, and lyrical virtuosity.
Dan Tyminski’s God Fearing Heathen is out June 23 via 8 Track Entertainment/Warner ADA.
