Greensky Bluegrass – Stress Dreams: B Sides (RSD Black Friday 2022 7" Vinyl)
Review
Like a lot of musicians in 2020, the distance that bands experienced from one another created some tricky situations in terms of writing new music. This was such the case for Greensky Bluegrass, who started out working on song compositions for their eighth studio set, Stress Dreams by email, voice notes and home demos. It was an interesting method of writing for a veteran bluegrass band—but that distance didn't hinder them one bit. Stress Dreams finds the band in fine form once again, exploring big themes and daily hardships in both profound and simple terms. "Streetlight" is an ode to working day in, day out, doing the same job over and over, while "Until I Sing" is a heartfelt admission of feeling worthless unless you're singing for the one you love. The playful honky-tonk of "Give a Shit," too, is another number that has Greensky going down some dark roads, as they confess by saying, "Ruined in back with these broken eyes/ I'm looking forward to tomorrow/ My pain is my humble disguise/ Because I don't really give a shit." But the highlight of the 13-song set is the title track "Stress Dreams." It's a number that stretches out a little over eight minutes, with a driving, euphoric sounding opening and Holly Bowling complementing the tune with her piano prowess. The song morphs into a longish instrumental that drifts into something quite beautiful, before returning to the chorus at the song's close. Moments like this pop up again and again, and this juxtaposition of exploration and beauty is the reason Greensky has cultivated the fanbase they have over the last two decades. Stress Dreams is another great addition to an already strong catalog.
— Mike Ayers, jambands.com
Product Details
Greensky Bluegrass has spent two decades blurring the line between acoustic roots music and the improvisational spirit of the jam scene, building one of the most devoted festival followings in the country. These two cuts left off *Stress Dreams* offer a rare window into a recording process that was already unusually intimate, with the band working through pandemic uncertainty in the studio rather than on the road where they'd always thrived.
"Congratulations and Condolences" and "Get Out" are unreleased B-sides from the band's Jan 2 2022 album Stress Dreams, which was produced by Dominic Davis (Jack White) and Grammy-winning engineer/producer Glenn Brown amidst the 2020 pandemic. Pressed on Seaglass 7" vinyl.
1. Congratulations and Condolences
2. Get Out
UPC: 793888098473
Label: Big Blue Zoo
Release Date: 11.25.22
Format: 7" Vinyl