Album Review // Ray & the County Kind // Courtesy of a Dirt Road Vol. 1

Self-released

4/5 Stars

There's nothing like some good old-fashioned county music to soothe your weary soul. Wait, did I read that right? Yes, county. This is where Ray & the County Kind live, a bluegrass-infused, rollicking country celebration that's at home along the rural routes of Pennsylvania. Don't forget that even at the city's center, you're barely 10 miles away from the nearest dirt road. It's this acknowledgment, a sort of winking authenticity, that makes these five songs as successful as they are. Well, that and some of the best damned musicianship you might ever hear. There's the downright amazing guitar skills of Jonathan Nolan, one of Erie's most underrated virtuosos. Just take a listen to the extended intro to "Hell of a Friend" to hear that fast-picking glory. You have the great Tanner Edwards on upright bass, providing the perfect backbone, along with one of Erie's best drummers, the always tasteful and supremely skilled Steve Barone (eagle-eared listeners will even catch a couple of stylistic inside jokes thrown in there). The band is fronted by the titular vocalist and fiddle/mandolin/guitar player Ryan Ray, his growly vocals serving up the perfect bite for a band this far north of the Mason-Dixon line.