It takes a confident and gritty artist to tackle a song in front of a crowd, never mind on a recorded work, that has so much notoriety from the original artist.
Andrew Hendryx first came across my ear drums around a decade ago through his work with the Brooklyn based band Yarn. His mandolin playing, particularly on the electric, was one of the most exciting sounds I had heard in a long while. It was innovative, he is a true visionary for the instrument in ways I had not seen before and he returns with a solo effort (with a help from some pretty heavy hitting friends) on this first single from his forthcoming “Deep River”.
The remnants of jamminess coat the edges of the tune, but it’s a strong vocal and his wonderful mandolin arrangement that are the anchor to the track at large. Those vocals are provided courtesy of Dan Lotti of Dangermuffin, who Hendryx is currently on tour with. And amidst the din of such a heavily instrumented track it can be hard to stand out, but Andrew’s mandolin playing, distinct and powerful in its nature, rises and sits above the moving current of the rest of the band.
The rest of the record that this first release comes from is anticipated sometime this month to be determined, but keep a keen ear and eye out for when it drops. The record features a smorgasboard of other jam infused, traditional influenced where the band indeed shines, but more so bolsters up Hendryx’s playing and allows the artist to free himself in a way where he shines. There is an undeniable vibe and ebb and flow to the tunes…a collection you will revisit again and again.