Pine Hill Haints - To Win or To Lose

And yes, I'm also still on a PHHs kick after seeing them a few weeks ago and I finally got around to finding this 2009 release (on Olympia's K Records - hadn't seen that hip label in a while). The Gentlemen of Four Outs cover "Never Gonna Die" from this record so I have been searching for it for a while to hear the original, especially since they did a terrific version of it at their last show. Again, the entire album is filled with their unique "Ghost Music" - a combination of zydeco, folk, blues, bluegrass and much more. Jamie leads the pack on guitar and fiddle with multi instrumentalist Katie (expert on the singin' saw), Matt on bucket bass and banjo (either he goes under various names or I have identified him incorrectly in other reviews - my apologies!), Ben on snare and here Mike Posey plays accordion and Joey Barrier also adds some banjo.

On the appropriately titled "Intro", the band revs up like a train pulling out of the station before moving into "Not So Lucky and the Invisible Kid", a short, galloping piece that then leads into "Charley Horse", a similar bit of bluegrass/punk (maybe, sorta?). Is "Bordello Blackwidow" banjo calypso? In a way, I guess! They take it a bit slower for "Scar" - Americana/folk/blues? - and "Halloween-time All the Time" is almost a waltz, done in their own peculiar way and with some singin' saw and mandolin-like guitar licks for atmosphere. "Never Cry" is upbeat'n'bouncy, almost pop (in a good way!) with a bit of spaghetti western (again, sorta/kinda - these cats are hard to describe!), and the wonderfully titled "Revenge of the Spider-Web Boy" is a bit like a jazzy Tom Waits number but with fiddle thrown in, just to throw ya off!

The traditional "Je Passe Devant ta Porte" is a fiddle-led waltz, followed by the afore-mentioned "Never Gonna Die", a fantastic FU to the grim reaper that is a sparse banjo piece sung and played by bassist Matt with a bit of saw in the background for coloring. I love the different arrangements that I have heard of this one - live they add some extra vocal chants - always a good one! Matt continues on the banjo for the animated "My Bones Are Gonna Rise Again" (apt tune to succeed "Never Gonna Die") and then Jamie is back on vocals for the folk-y, fiddlin' "How Much Poison Does It Take" and a traditional, waltzing, war tale, "The Ranger's Command". "Screaming Jenny" is another one of Matt's and stands out a bit with its reggae-ish vocals and echo'd guitar chords, Jamie's back for "Doublehead", a bluesy/garagey tune and they close out with the Bob Dylan-esque "You Are My Thief".

As I've said, my descriptions are all approximations as these cats really don't sound like much of anyone else, but I totally dig their mix of influences and terrific songwriting and interpretations! Great record!