Banjodad

According to legend, songsmith/vocalist Dave Simonett started the newgrass powerhouse Trampled by Turtles simply because someone stole his electric guitar. With Simonett’s solo project Dead Man Winter, fans can hear what may have been if fate – and a musically inclined thief – had not intervened. Throughout Bright Lights, electrified guitars roar loudly over a whispering bluegrass, resulting in a sound that hits the ear like a corn fed Black Crowes ( “Industrial Daybreak,” “Get Low” ). With Simonett’s everyman songwriting making poetry out of the ordinary – addictions to cigarettes ( “Nicotine” ) and being homesick ( “Golden” ) – TxT fans and newcomers alike should find this debut album accessible and enjoyable.