Carolina Chocolate Drops – Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind

Say the words “string band” and what probably springs to mind for most folks is something along the lines of the Darlings from “The Andy Griffith Show”. But the rich heritage of banjo and fiddle music belongs as much to the African-American community as it does to rural white southerners. The Carolina Chocolate Drops — a trio of young African-Americans hailing from the Piedmont region of North Carolina — are perfect torchbearers for carrying on that near-lost tradition.

Their debut disc brims with exuberance. Tackling sixteen traditional songs — some well-known, some obscure — the group transcends any whiff of novelty while conjuring up a bygone era. Hoedown stomps predominate, played in straight-up fashion and tethered to a lo-fi, communal vibe. Recorded in just two days, the album emits the sort of warm glow you might feel at an all-night barndance.

Peppered among the spirited fare are a few moments that warrant special mention. On the surface, “Dixie” might seem an odd choice for the group, but in the Carolina Chocolate Drops’ hands, the song exudes a yearning not so much for a time and place, but for an authenticity that’s been lost. Likewise, the muted, cottony sound and out-of-tune banjo unfurled on “Tom Dula” emphasize the song’s tragic core in a way that mere virtuosity never could. Like most of Dona Got A Ramblin’ Mind, both songs come off as the aural equivalent of gazing at an old sepia-toned photograph.