Imaginary Lines | 2022
1. Carolina and Tennessee
2. Irons in the Fire
3. Crooked Jack
4. Soldiers of Dust
5. California
6. The Old Swinging Bridge
7. At the Bottom Again
8. Back on the Crooked Road
9. Bounty Hunder
10. Lookout Mountain
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“Like so many of us, in and out of bluegrass, the members of Unspoken Tradition had big plans for 2020, touring in support of, and planning their follow-up to, 2019’s superb Myths We Tell Our Young.
But COVID interrupted those plans, casting a long, dark cloud over the landscape. The quintet – to borrow a line from Carolina and Tennessee, the song that kicks off the band’s new project, Imaginary Lines – “walked in the shadow of hard times, waiting for the sun to shine.
Now, at long last, the hard times are fading and the sun is shining again. If this CD from Mountain Home Music Co. is any indication, the band’s deferred dreams were worth the wait.
From the kickoff guitar riff of the opening song, Imaginary Lines is fresh and folky. The direction is a not-so-subtle reminder that bluegrass is a broad canvas that is best when not confined within narrow lines, real or imaginary.”
Myths We Tell Our Young | 2019
1. Nothing But Sky
2. Land
3. Force of Nature
4. Dark Side of the Mountain
5. Unchartered Territory
6. I Say Let’s Go (Colorado)
7. Lonesome’s Gonna Be Here
8. Light Just One Candle
9. Cold Mountain Town
10. The Mountains Win Again
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“This project erupts in a wall of sound. They drive as hard as any of the older bands of yesteryear, but with a new approach that incorporates influences from various newer sources. They are at once part of the tradition and shapers of a new sound. Their sound is a virile, volcanic blast as the instruments and vocals jump out in a torrent of notes and words. It’s compelling and challenging all at once. – Bluegrass Unlimited
“There’s no question about this being bluegrass, it draws from the deep wells of traditional bluegrass but manages to capture the high energy spirit of newgrass – mostly in the styling of their original tunes and their well considered covers. It’s also readily apparent in the modern arrangements of their well thought out harmonies.” – Hudson Valley Bluegrass
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“Unspoken Tradition specializes in new, original bluegrass music. Inspired by modern influences and the roots of traditional music, they bring a sound that is both impassioned and nostalgic, hard-driving but sincere.” – Bluegrass Heritage
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“So often, the instrumental theme at the top of a song is filler, but this quintet’s scene-setting riffs are killer, hooking the listener and offering a launch pad for solos later on. The commanding, Stapleton-esque lead vocal of Audie McGinnis hit us with imagery of a bird on a wire that “has everything at the tip of his wing” and then the harmony vocals kicked in with keening precision and exquisite blues tension.” Craig Havighurst of WMOT Roots Radio 89.5 FM
Miles Between | 2015
1. Point of Rocks Station
2. One Mule Plow
3. The Bullet
4. Been in Love Before
5. Miles Between Them
6. Rivers That I’ve Crossed
7. Losers Like Me
8. Rattlesnake Run
9. One More Drink
10. Who Will Sing
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“For a relatively new group like Unspoken Tradition, signs of growth and maturity from one record to the next are the mark of artists on the rise. And we certainly see that here. Expect more of the same as they continue going forward. A standout track is the project’s first single, The Bullet, written and sung by Audie. It’s a thoughtful song, told from the standpoint of a bullet that counsels the user to think hard before firing since he can’t be put put back in the barrel after being sent on his way. Also strong is One Mule Plow from Patrick McDougall, which extols the virtue of the simple life with a catchy, repetitive melody.” – Bluegrass Today
Simple Little Town | 2013
1. Simple Little Town
2. Mr. President
3. Bitter Haze
4. Stickshifts and Safetybelts
5. Carolina Rain
6. I’m Lost, I’ll Never Find the Way
7. Time Marches On
8. Blood and Bone
9. Mine Shaft Blues
10. Rebel’s Shame
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“Split by the Blue Ridge Mountains, the western North Carolina-based members of Unspoken Tradition have melded into a polished ensemble with strong original material, abundant talent, and an already distinctive sound subtly more trad than most new bands. Simple Little Town proves an auspicious debut from (self-described) “six working-class guys from North Carolina” who have been together for less than two years. This whole far exceeds the sum of its parts.” Bluegrass Unlimited
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