Album Review: Southern Sky

Deep within the matryoshka doll that is the country genre is a bluegrass doll in cosplay. Sitting on the fire escape of a rundown apartment building, dry buck wheat stem between its teeth, and a rock band shirt, progressive bluegrass is the genre that ran away from its home in the Appalachians and fell in with a different crowd. Appropriate then, to find it all the way down here beneath our southern skies, as far from home as one could possibly be.  

Safe in the hands of local practitioners You, Me, Everybody, bluegrass may not be the same kid that left their mountain town, but they haven’t forgotten their roots.

With their sweet vocal harmonies, and call-and-answer style instrumental licks, You, Me, Everybody’s first full-length album Southern Sky is the sojourn through forgotten regions of the human soul.

It may not be appreciated by Bill Monroe bluegrass traditionalists, but their kids are going to love it. Too upbeat for blues, too structured for jazz, yet taking elements from both and adding a smattering of classic pop sensibilities, the sweet musical tapestry You, Me, Everybody weaves is a nostalgia-inducing reminder of the good ol’ sounds of yester-year.   

Exhibiting more talent and emotional depth than the Instagram-influencing kids with laptops that dominate the charts, Southern Sky is never going to make waves in the mainstream, but in the eyes of closet hipsters, folk enthusiasts, and their hippy-denigrating grandparents, this is a golden release.

If you’re looking for a mid-week pick me up, look no further. Five stars of five.

You still have enough time to see You, Me, Everybody live in Whangateau, Katikati, and Hamilton on Feb 18, 19, and 20, 2021, respectively. More details on www.yme.nz. With this new album, there are now 11 new songs in their repertoire, compared to the 6 last time they took their shiny eyed New Grass sound on tour. That’s nearly double the value.

You can find Southern Sky on the You, Me, Everybody Bandcamp.