Album Notes

The Band of Brothers' debut CD, "Almost There" - featuring their exquisite interplay of vocals, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, & harmonica - is simply stunning. You will find yourself humming & reflecting on these songs days after you first hear them.

Recorded by acclaimed indie producer Jesse Sprinkle, ten of the songs were composed by singer/songwriter Michael Scott Smith; with additional contributions from 12-string guitarist Henry Robin ("Stone's Throw Away"), bass player Alan Fox ("Whisper"), and banjo/mandolin player Jamie Stevens ("Crying Holy" - his arrangement of the traditional spiritual). Woven throughout the CD are the tenor harmonies and guitar of Bruce Bailey.

From review at The Phantom Tollbooth:

Songs of faith. Songs of love. Songs of hope. Songs of war. Songs of peace. A song ("Evangeline") that took Michael Scott Smith twenty years to write. This CD is worth a good listen.

Listening to this CD is like sitting down on your great-grandfather's knee and listening to stories about your family that no one else can tell. Many of these songs were written based on genealogical research by Smith. What a story! You can't make this stuff up. He admits to some embellishment of details, but the specifics are more than the best authors come up with. Pirates, immigrants, American Civil War veterans, love, what else do you need for a good story?

"Cry Holy" takes me back to that old A/G church that I grew up in. The lyrics to "Whisper" are going to be printed in the front of my prayer journal. Here's a little look at the touching nature of this music: "It never seems quite so simple, When I stand before you. The background noise of life drifts off, when I whisper your name."

Jesse Sprinkle (Demon Hunter, Poor Old Lu) co-produced with Shawn Harnish and The Band of Brothers. Jesse also plays drums on two of the thirteen songs.

This is a great collection of American roots music that heralds back to a simpler time. What a comfort.

From review at Christian Rockers Online:

The music on this release is as the saying goes "...as American as Mom, Hot Dogs and Apple Pie..." Topics dealt with in the songs include: salvation, forgiveness, family, love, and learning to slow down and enjoy what life has to offer. If you're looking for a release that showcases American Roots Music then this is a must-buy CD!