Search - Wildfire :: Where Roads Divide

Wildfire has the necessary elements for great success

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 06/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wildfire is Phil Leadbetter (resonator, Weissenborn and E-body guitars), Darrel Webb (mandolin), Robert Hale (guitar) Barry Crabtree (banjo) and Curt Chapman (bass). Leadbetter, Webb and Hale handle the vocals. Wildfire turned a lot of heads with their debut album, Uncontained, in 2001. In fact, they were nominated as IBMA's Emerging Artist of the Year after only one year in the business. Now, the sophomore project from this up-and-coming contemporary bluegrass band shows that the band had matured even more and is poised for greater things to come.Where Roads Divide features three compositions from the band's guitarist Robert Hale, and one from mandolinist Darrell Webb. Hale demonstrates an ability to write both driving numbers like "Love Will Make You Blind," as well as contemporary Gospel with "If You Don't Believe in Miracles" and "Help These Eyes to See." Webb's "All Because of Me" is a high, lonesome prisoner's song with some soaring vocals. Other contemporary songs from Deryl Dodd, Keith Urban, Vernon Rust, Roger Murrah, Jim McBride, John Dawson, Bill Anderson and Steve Wariner are included which result in the project also having crossover potential in the country market. "I Don't Know How To Fix It" is a ripsnorter with some mighty hot picking. The more traditional-sounding Reno/Monroe song, "I'm Afraid My Darlin's Gone" and Jimmy Martin's "The Last Song" round out this project and show that the band has a deep respect and understanding for the roots of the music. I like to see lyrics included in the CD's jacket, as Wildfire has done with this album. The only thing that this project may lack is some hot guest fiddling, which could've really taken a couple of numbers to 110 percent.Wildfire has the necessary elements for great success in the music business: an original band sound, excellent repertoire, hot pickers, soulful singers, and exceptional arrangements. They can add me to their list of fans. Watch these stars rise. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)"