ALBUM REVIEW: Barnstar! Reconvenes for a Bluegrass-Flavored Call for Positivity on ‘Furious Kindness’

Furious Kindness is the first album in nine years from Barnstar!, the quintet who have proudly claimed in their promotional materials that they “make bluegrass for people who hate bluegrass.” Their unique approach to the genre, focusing more on the song than on instrumental soloing, is sure to intrigue even the most skeptical listeners.

Founded by producer and bassist Zachariah Hickman (Ray LaMontagne, Josh Ritter), the group was initially assembled for a bluegrass jam in Boston. Considering all the members — Mark Erelli (vocals, guitar), Charlie Rose (banjo, vocals), Taylor Armerding (mandolin, vocals), and Jake Armerding (fiddle, vocals) — were busy working as sidemen or solo artists, there wasn’t much thought about taking the group any further. But their undeniable chemistry and infectious enthusiasm for playing together eventually led to the formation of the band, albeit a very part-time one. They released the album C’mon! in 2011, followed by Sit Down! Get Up! Get Out! in 2015. Barnstar! returned to the studio in 2019 to record new material for an album they intended to release in 2020. The pandemic halted those plans, and in the years that followed, scheduling conflicts further delayed the release of Furious Kindness.

From left, Barnstar! members Charlie Rose, Mark Erelli, Jake Armerding, Taylor Armerding, and Zachariah Hickman. (Photo by Sasha Pedro)

Furious Kindness finally arrives with a stated mission “to be a beacon of joy in a world that could use a bit more kindness.” This inspiring goal is reflected in songs that help remind us that we can find hope through even the most difficult times. Those songs are a mix of original tunes and covers by artists like Elliott Smith, Elizabeth Ziman, and Van Morrison. An infectious melody and a message of positivity make the Taylor Armerding-led interpretation of “Boulder on My Back,” by Boston-based songwriter Dennis Brennan, a standout. As with all the covers Barnstar! chose, it’s a solid song to begin with but elevated by the tight harmonies and energetic playing the band brings to it.

On this release, Barnstar! has come up with their strongest collection of original songs to date. Erelli, Rose, and Hickman joined forces to write the rousing “Believer,” which finds them blending their voices to belt out the chorus: “I know you’re running out of faith / But if it’s the last thing I do / I’m going to make a believer out of you.” Banjo and fiddle combine nicely on the lively “Witness,” while a frantically strummed guitar gives Jake Armerding’s “Anybody Got a Light?” a folk-rock feel. He sings “Last night the truth was declared insane / She’s hiding out there in a hurricane,” an astute observation of the turbulent American landscape.

The album ends on a high note as the band goes full-on bluegrass with “When the World Goes Mad All Around You,” a song Erelli wrote with Chuck Prophet and klipshutz. As the band plays fast and furious, showing off their instrumental prowess and shouting lyrics ripe for a sing-along, it’d hard not to smile.

If any band can make the world a better place, even in just the time it takes to listen to this album, Barnstar! and their dose of Furious Kindness are certainly up for the job.

Barnstar!’s Furious Kindness is out April 19.