Playing Time – 41:16 -- Kevin McClung is a young artist who’s got his traveling shoes on….to climb some lofty peaks ahead of him. This singer, songwriter, banjo and guitar player gives us 12 contemporary originals that reference crooked roads from Tupelo to New Orleans, the misty Appalachian hills, Carolina, Tennessee, one more hill to climb, Virginia backroads, foot glued flat to the floor, going home, and bluegrass on the radio. He even does a little “traipsin’ round” and “windin’ with the creek on down where the ginseng grows.” McClung writes in contemporary, Americana, and even occasionally traditional veins. This debut project is his showcase, and he’s hoping to shake something lose and find some label support. He’s excited about the many projects he has in the queue. McClung shows a great deal of potential, and with some luck and support, my prediction is that he’ll go far. It would be unfortunate if he ends up like he sings, “hitched a ride on a shooting star, disappeared without a trace.” Although born in Washington, D.C., Kevin was raised in Virginia. Time on the family farm in West Virginia cultivated his love of the mountains and banjo. A promise to practice banjo daily for three months was made to pay off a debt to his father for a dirt bike. Taking up songwriting after graduating from the Virginia Military Institute, McClung eventually found himself in Nashville. His group called “Mountain William” included bassist Blue Larry Blue (Larry Sandlin) who said, “We played one club where the owner tried to categorize us but finally just said we sounded like everything from Pure Prairie League to Bela Fleck! He was right. Kevin’s material was unique and listenable, but it drew from many formats. I enjoyed it because it gave me freedom to create the bass parts and the expression to play them.” That diversity, freedom and expression are exactly what comes through strongly on “Minor Indiscretions.” If one were to ask me for a definition of contemporary bluegrass, this is about as close as it gets. His songs don’t follow typical I-IV-V progressions, and every cut has its own a distinctive high voltage power. A more traditional bluegrass radio show might give airplay to “Virginia Backroads” or “Where the Ginseng Grows,” while one promoting newgrass might program “My Turn to Drive” or “Sheriff Dropped By.” Acoustic country dee-jays should take a liking to “Next Big Thing” or “Going Home.” Perfect for a Gospel selection is “Sufficient Grace.” With an excellent head for production, McClung has assembled some of Nashville’s best award-winning musical acousticians to assist – Jim Hurst, Missy Raines, Al Perkins, and Larry Franklin. The bluegrass instrumentation is full, robust and technically impressive. McClung sings the lead vocals with much emotional electricity. Besides background vocals from Hurst and McClung himself, we hear harmonies that lay down real well in the mix from Michael Mellett, Lisa Bevill, and Shawn Dady. What fantastic company! No slouches here! The band drives with both hands on the wheel, and both feet on the floor. If I were a record exec, I’d seriously consider adding McClung and Company to my catalog. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now, Roseburg, OR.)