Tonewood String Band - Heart Of The Pretender (2025) Hi-Res

Colorado bluegrass jam band Tonewood String Band has just released a new album Heart of the Pretender, produced by Tyler Grant. The album features songs the majority of which were written by George Sepmeier, but every member of the band wrote one or two more, each, so it’s an egalitarian affair. Increasing that vibe, everyone sings, and the harmonies are spine chilly good.

Musically, they push the boundary for what it means to be bluegrass – they lay down the traditional whirls on banjo, mandolin, fiddle and guitars, but they spice things up with a wider array of traditions – with touches of Cajun and Middle Eastern influences in their fresh, innovative jams.

The album opens with a flourish of fiddle and banjo and the timeless “A Cold Wind Blows”: “a cold wind blows on the mountain, I can feel the chill in the pines, all these lonely nights I’ve been counting until I see that girl of mine.” These guys are on fire.

“Only the Moon” is next up and highlights the vocal prowess of the Tonewood String Band. A gentler approach on this one still smokes and the banjo carries a lot of the weight. And there’s a confessional element to the extent to which he’s in love: “no one sees me blushing, only the moon, only the moon.” On “Faith” the rhythms take a wider groove with a traditional vocal still haunting over the top “I would do almost anything if you would wear my wedding ring… have faith in me honey, have faith in me honey, please.”

On the title track there’s a bit of low cello and some guitar solos within the mix, and “if I knew a way to find the words I’d like to say, inside the heart of this pretender.” There’s a little but of a pretender in all of us.

“When I’m Gone” is a prison song: “will you still love me when I’m gone,” where the pace and skilled finger work is absolutely dizzying. Later in the album the intriguingly titled “The Honest Orthodontist” is a swingy, lively instrumental with the words left to our imagination.

“Aint Nothin Like A Train” is a good focal point for the way this band brings unique sounds and rhythms into their bluegrass baseline. “Prison Business” is a delightful bluegrass song about finding trouble with the sheriff and then … prison life.