With a deep love and appreciation for pioneers in the genres of bluegrass and "mountain" music, the duo rarely fall off the rails. Instrumentals intertwined with traditional standards such as "Think of What You've Done" and "Katie Dear" allow for a trip down a well-trodden path, but with enough variants to keep it interesting. The ragtime on the appropriately titled "Calicoon Rag" is an early indication that both Ratliff and Lewis are adept at many instruments and styles of playing. Another characteristic saturating the album is the idea of family, whether it's the theme behind "The Kaintuck," a song about leaving home, or Lewis' mother Rosemary Lewis contributing vocals to "In the Pines." There are a few low points, notably the listless Ry Cooder feel on "Reuben's Country Blues Train," which takes too long to build and sounds slightly out of place. The album's coda, with a basset hound named Edgar leading the song, is funny but a bit too light, also. Nonetheless, the quality of simple "pickin'" and playing on songs such as "Going to Aurora" is a pleasure to listen to. ~ Jason MacNeil