Cindy G – Moonshiner’s Daughter (LP)

Cindy G – Moonshiner’s Daughter (LP)

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esrQdpx2w88

There’s a decided lack of authenticity to be found on the FM dial these days, but just beyond the mainstream there lies the American music underground where artists like Cindy G are keeping the tradition of refined songcraft alive and well in 2018. Her new album Moonshiner’s Daughter is a sonic journey into the heart of her rural Pennsylvanian roots, and unlike some bluegrass record that require a sophisticated palate to fully understand their concept, Cindy G’s most recent effort was made for a generation in need of simple, sweet music. You don’t need a doctorate in the fine arts to appreciate just how brilliant a work she’s made alongside producer Jim VanCleve; all you need is two ears and an open mind and you can leave it to the star of the show to take care of the rest. Moonshiner’s Daughter isn’t a rip roar rock n’ roll record in the style of Cindy’s vintage work, but it is an elegant glimpse into her humble origins, perseverance and unique perspective on life and the characters it introduces us to along the way.

The winding folky rollick of “The Forgotten” isn’t something you’re going to find in any country album that Nashville cuts this year, and I’d even say you’d be hard pressed to find anything as sleekly delivered in bluegrass music as well. This song is a good example of Cindy G’s fun loving, easy going side, but it isn’t the complete crux of Moonshiner’s Daughter’s narrative. It’s balanced by tracks like the brisk yet darkly ominous “Truckload of Troubles,” and while the contrast would have been a bit overpowering in a different setting, in this case it comes off as dexterous and complete. Bluegrass records are rarely described as diverse in nature, but Moonshiner’s Daughter offers us so many different angles on Cindy G’s artistic identity that it’s impossible to get the same interpretation out of a song twice. I’d challenge listeners to give this album a few dedicated listens before deciding how to categorize it in the pop spectrum; it’s more than deserving of your time.

I would love to see Cindy G play these songs live and in person where they could really come into their own. Music like this was never meant to live the whole of its existence in the studio – it has to be spread out into the atmosphere and enjoyed by an audience who can physically feel the vibrations of its players. Cindy G is a rare gem in 2018 – she’s a singer and a songwriter who writes everything from the inside out. External influences play a somewhat minor role when it comes to her forging her sound, because like all truly iconic artists she’s already got so much within herself to say. God willing she won’t stop sharing her gifts with us anytime soon, and with any luck her devotion to her medium will have a positive impact on the scene she’s come to champion in the last few years. Moonshiner’s Daughter is a great album for bluegrass, but it’s also a pretty good album for 2018, too.

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Moonshiners-Daughter/dp/B07FSJ8NVR

Mindy McCall