Banjoist Robert Earl Davis writes songs on the blue side of bluegrass with a bitter pen, singing a flat, limited lead to a stripped down traditional sound. Balanced by guitarist Danny Morris’s tenor, Larry Hughes’s dancing mandolin, and the confident, accomplished drive of Davis’s banjo, all underscored by James Touzels’s unobtrusive bass, The Earl Brothers hit the lonesome sound with a decided thump that eerily echoes between 1920 and 2020 walls of time. Life Full of Trouble, Train of Sorrow, Hell on the Highway, Dark Days…R. E. Davis and his California band paint a grim picture of life at the bottom of the soul in the darkest Appalachian hillbilly tones. Instrumentals add interest. An urban reflection on Moonshines’ cover reminds us of bluegrass’s immigration to the city, and maintains an artistic theme from earlier recordings. BMP