Mighty Poplar
(Music on CD)

Compact disc.

03/31/2023

At its heart, bluegrass music is about what happens when you commit to the moment. This spirit of spontaneity is ever-present on the self-titled record from Mighty Poplar, a new all-star roots project featuring Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse, Noam Pikelny and Chris Eldridge of Punch Brothers, bassist Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon) and fiddler Alex Hargreaves (Billy Strings). Across ten songs that include bluegrass and folk classics and deep cuts from the Carter Family to Leonard Cohen, the fivesome captures the fierce and playful energy of a late-night jam between old friends. Regarded as some of the finest players of their generation, the playing is never showy and always in service of the song. As a whole, the songs are as immediate and emotionally impactful as the playing is tasteful. This is bluegrass music at its zenith: thoughtfully crafted by players with off-the-charts chemistry. On this, they've captured lightning in a bottle.