Album Notes

October 25, 2007
Section: GOIOWACITY
Page: 2D

CD reviews
staff

Mike and Amy Finders Band
"My Friends Told Me It Would Never Last"

www.mikeandamyfinders.com

Blessed with a spunky, charming personality and a powerful, soulful voice that can go from the effervescent, clearwater high-country sound of, say, Dolly Parton, to the sultry, sassy, swinging blues of a young Maria Muldaur, Amy Finders grabs a lot of the attention in this exemplary bluegrass/Americana revue.

Best known for his writing skills (he's a two-time winner -- and in two different genres -- of MerleFest's prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest), Mike Finders also is an accomplished guitarist and an impressively versatile vocalist, both as a soloist and as a duet partner.

Still, as with the more successful (but otherwise very similar) Alison Krauss & Union Station, the Finders Band draws its strength and appeal from a deep and broad-based foundation, including locked-in musicianship.

The brand-new "My Friends Told Me..." rounds up 16 luminous, pan-genre "live" performances culled from various configurations of the Mike & Amy band over the past seven years, featuring typically sterling contributions by Al Murphy, Liz Kennedy, Billy Valencia, Dustin Busch and Jake Breitbach.

Despite its multiple sources, the disc's sound fairly shimmers, offering a near-seamless concert experience that blends cool covers and enviable originals with the Finders Band's easy-going humor and inclusive, back porch hospitality.

-- Jim Musser