A record store clerk would probably put this release by the quartet
Invoke
in a bluegrass or folk bin, but it appeared on the classical-oriented
Sono Luminus
label, and a string quartet lies at the heart of it. The quartet is augmented by a mandolin and a banjo (played respectively by the group's violist and one of the violinists), and propulsive plucked string sounds and their interaction with the quartet's texture are key to the music. Those familiar with progressive bluegrass mandolinist
Chris Thile
and his band
Punch Brothers
will have an idea of the sound, but it is pushed one or two clicks in the classical direction, not only due to the presence of the bowed strings (which
Thile
has also used) but also in tonal and textural variety. Pushing the music back in the pop direction is the presence of text on three of the pieces. The playing is precise and energetic. Nothing is in the league of
, who is one of the greatest performers ever to have played the mandolin, but then,
has rarely had engineering from the likes of
, whose production achieves a strikingly edgy, close-up sound. An intriguing entry for those wishing to sample the growing interface between classical music and progressive bluegrass. ~ James Manheim