While they're inarguably superb pickers well versed in bluegrass traditions,
the Infamous Stringdusters have always been a group eager to push at the accepted boundaries of the genre, and 2017's
Laws of Gravity, their seventh studio album, exists in a middle ground between progressive bluegrass and contemporary singer/songwriter sensibilities. The 13 tracks give the players plenty of room to show off their skills, but
the Stringdusters have clearly devoted plenty of energy to their songwriting, and
Laws of Gravity is full of compact narratives about remarkable lives ("Maxwell," "Black Elk"), grand adventures ("1901: A Canyon Odyssey," "Back Home"), and the ups and downs of a well-lived life ("This Ol' Building," "Freedom," "A Hard Life Makes a Good Song").
The Stringdusters put enough focus on the songwriting for
Laws of Gravity that they brought in a handful of guest writers for these tunes, though the results still bear their sonic signature, and the efforts at better storytelling don't mean they've cut back on the soloing. All the ingredients in
Laws of Gravity are top-shelf, even if
the Stringdusters jam longer than needed on several tracks. ~ Mark Deming