Michelle Lee On Air 
Balsam Range is a well-known and multi-award-winning band that is found in many homes’ album collections. Now there is a new album titled “Kinetic Tone” with a new arrangement ready for you. It has all the familiarities of great harmonies and touching stories about life along with giving a little bit of hard-driving bluegrass. Adding Alan Bibey to Balsam Range has relit the bands energy and it is apparently good.
After the success of “Grit and Grace”, Balsam Range has raised the bar once again with this new album “Kinetic Tone“. After listening to the album numerous times, every song has given me a little bit more each time – thoughts, memories or even an instrument sound I didn’t hear before.
As I do with the other album releases, let’s dive into some of the songs on this album. Balsam Range definitely grabbed my attention with the first song, “Echo Canyon”. Throughout the song it is truly hard to wonder how it would be to live or even visit such a place as described in “Echo Canyon”. The next song had me saying, “what, really?” and then a little smile. I mean, who becomes a “Snake Charmer” instead of loving a person.
“Evergreen” and “What the Years Do” brought those deep thoughts of how life and you yourself change over time. As these songs are a little slower in tempo, they give those strong messages while you continue to enjoy the mix between the harmonies and musical sounds. “Running Out of Reasons” really tells the story of how our small towns that we all remember have changed and how it is harder and harder to stay. The other song that touched my heart is “God Knows”. “God Knows” is uplifting like other songs on the album but it also makes you remember the best friend that a lot of us have in God.
The rest of the songs on the album definitely showcases the talent through the diverse styles of songs. “Marshall McClain”, “Just to Satisfy You”, “Two Lane Highway”, “We’ll All Drink Money” and “Worry” have styles from smooth sounds to straight-ahead bluegrass to an awesome gospel quartet.
Throughout the entire album, it is obvious that Balsam Range is demonstrating the true meaning of the musical term of kinetic energy – how sounds move from being static to changing tone by the application of Energy! Do yourself a favor and download “Kinetic Tone” album by Balsam Range right now and hit repeat or head over to their website balsamrange.com and purchase a hard copy.
Balsam Range:
Tim Surrett – Bass, Dobro and Vocals
Buddy Melton – Fiddle and Vocals
Caleb Smith – Guitar and Vocals
Marc Pruett – Banjo
Alan Bibey – Mandolin and Vocals
