This CD is a gift to those who appreciate good home style music played in a skillful and talented way.  I really like the instrumentation with all the strings, and the lyrics are catchy and meaningful. 
Reccomende for anyone who wants to add some local or not/local but not mainstream bluegrass/acoustic music to their collection.
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We were grooving as soon as we put it on! This is the kind of fun take on bluegrass that will help attract all types of listeners and draw people to the genre. Good song number and length as well...
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The songs on here are great!!  I bought it after hearing the sample songs and was not disappointed by the rest of the cd!!  If you love blue grass, you will love this cd as well.  Upbeat and energetic.
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There’s a youthful energy bubbling up in Free Range Pickin’ and it smartly drives the music of this Minnesota band. Their self-titled album blends edgy contemporary tunes with traditional stylings, giving them a persona that could make serious inroads with college crowds and those who enjoy a modern approach to the music. One tune may feature Steve Schley’s jazzy mandolin picking, such as in “The Waiting,” only to be followed by Tony Ihrig’s bouncy banjo instrumental, “Dirty Old Rag,” a cool melody which also gives Geoff Schley’s guitar skills a chance to shine. In fact, breaks and solos from all bandmembers are plentiful and sparkle throughout, including numerous bass highlights from Dan Christensen whose rhythms play a prominent key role in more than one tune, even bowing the bass on a couple of jazzier numbers.

Having two songwriters in the band has given Free Range Pickin’ a wealth of material. Eleven of the dozen tracks are band originals from either Steve Schley or Tony Ihrig, and they slip comfortably from happy instrumentals to thoughtful ballads, strong guitar leads to bright banjo solos and mandolin muscle. Songs deal with long, cold northern winters; dreams and responsibilities; the bad things that happen in life and how we deal with them; and there’s even a love song written by Ihrig as a proposal to his girlfriend. It’s a broad range of topics, yet they work well together. “So Simple” is a particularly effective and emotionally anchored ballad about parents and children, and the obligations they feel so strongly for one another. “Pastor Flaps,” on the other hand, is a highly enjoyable melody that features instrumental harmonies, terrific breaks, and hot bass work that drives the piece.

Free Range Pickin’ is a clever name for this band that does indeed range freely over the ever-widening bluegrass landscape.
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