Old School

The high spirited debut of Portland's explosive bluegrass rockers, Golden Delicious' Old School is one of the best syntheses of country spirit and punk-rock energy to date. Obviously not afraid to step outside of traditional bluegrass conventions by adding drums, electric guitar, and tackle themes normally outside of the genre, Golden Delicious also lets guitarist Pete Krebs step away from his more serious singer/songwriter persona and cut loose on some country classics. More than anything, it's obvious Golden Delicious were having a great time recording this album. The absolutely infectious and hilarious Hot Corn, Cold Corn, which sounds to be on the brink of collapsing into laughter at any moment, as well as irresistibly catchy Low Down Dog, are both good bets to be stuck in your head for days. The carnival atmosphere of the slightly off-kilter HooDoo Bash and a sincere cover of Ernest Tubb's Walk Across Texas make sure that the mood of the album never grows stale. Though many bands have tried to translate the seemingly endless energy of bluegrass music into a rock format, for some reason, it rarely works. While Golden Delicious won't be confused with Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys anytime soon, they do have the rare combination of exemplary instrumental skills, good harmonies, intelligent song selection, and enough irreverent attitude to make Old School an infinitely listenable and enjoyable experience. ~ Matt Fink, All Music Guide