High Country

The Infamous Stringdusters’ fourth album – and first release on their own High Country label – We’ll Do It Live boasts 13 tracks culled from four shows on this past year’s spring tour. The sextet busts out acoustic bluegrass favorites from stops at hallowed venues like New York’s Bowery Ballroom and Burlington, Vt.‘s Higher Ground as well as in Charlottesville and Falls Church, Va. – which are fitting locales for the Virginia-centric lyrics and great guitar work on songs like “The Hitchhiker.” The group plays a hybrid of progressive country and improvisational bluegrass numbers with a little bit of rock swagger, kicking off with “Fork in the Road,” the title track from their 2007 debut. Bassist *Travis Book’s* vocals sound crisp and yearning on “Long Lonesome Day,” and the dobro, fiddle and mandolin playing are fiery all the way through, especially on “No More to Leave You Behind.” Covers of Danny Barnes’ “Get It While You Can,” Shawn Camp’s “Ain’t No Way of Knowing,” and John Hartford’s “Keep on Truckin’” (where the crowd energy is particularly palpable) help bolster an already strong set of B-sides, new music and tunes from all three studio releases. Clocking in at just over one hour, this collection of songs feels like it could have been recorded at a singular event, as it seamlessly segues throughout.