Not good, not great, just there. MilkDrives Road from Home is an almost totally inoffensive release, but it doesnt shine that brightly, either.
Falling neatly into the newly hip folk/bluegrass genre, the group cranks out tunes that lean more toward the Nickel Creek bluegrass end of the spectrum than the Avett Brothers pop side. I am no hater on the genre; Ive been to three Avett Brothers concerts, saw Abigail Washburn and Trampled by Turtles at SXSW this year, and generally love me some banjo. Its not oversaturation of the genre that causes me to be unimpressed; its the thoroughly competent musicianship and songwriting.
Dry Creek Inn is a nice little murder ballad, and Nightmares by the Sea feels a bit darker than the rest of the material here. Last Night I Dreamed is an upbeat piece with three-part harmonies, which is also cool. But theres nothing here that has a MilkDrive stamp on it. Theres nothing I can point to and say, This is why you should buy this.
If youre a big fan of newgrass and have been jonesing for a fix since Trampled by Turtles hit The Conservatory a couple months ago, you should check out MilkDrive. Otherwise, this ones just OK. Stephen Carradini