3 Silver Dollars (Pinecastle, 2009)

Filled with smooth instrumentals, tight harmonies and David Parmley's smooth voice, this CD of acoustic country music with a bluegrass twist is a well-produced effort. Songs cover the traditional country faire of lost love, regret and hope. The title track has a toe-tapping bluegrass rhythm with tight, clean and tasteful fiddle and mandolin breaks.

What You can See From Your Knees is a gospel tune - but not a straight-out prayer song, rather it's a refreshing story of redemption and discovery. Also unexpected are tunes like Winsborough Cotton Mill Blues where you'd expect a slower soulful song. Not so, rather it's a fast bluegrass song. Other "blues" songs are slow country waltzes - all contributing to an album full of surprises.

Less pleasant is the lack of drive on several songs that might have been dance tunes. The lack of mandolin chops and some overly simple bass lines made me want more instrument-driven music.

Overall, this is a good effort with the focus on tight vocals and harmonies and less so on the instrumentals. It's a smooth CD, which might suffer from a sameness in execution.