Hiyo, Chatham County Line’s tenth studio release, is indeed something of a reintroduction to the North Carolina roots stalwarts, one fueled by new sounds, new collaborators, and a whole new lease on life. Recorded at Asheville’s Echo Mountain studio with engineer/co-producer Rachael Moore (Kacey Musgraves, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss), the collection finds Wilson and bandmates John Teer (fiddle/mandolin) and Greg Readling (bass/pedal steel) embracing change at every turn, experimenting with fresh sonic palettes and innovative approaches to their core instrumentation. The songwriting remains classic Chatham County Line here—rich, evocative tales of love and heartbreak, joy and sorrow, righteousness and revenge—but the settings have evolved to incorporate synthesizers, drum machines, and more electric guitar and percussion than ever before. Given the group’s string band roots and decades spent singing around a single microphone, the results are nothing short of revelatory, taking an enduring sound and injecting it with a thrilling new spirit of discovery and vitality.
The First Edition LP includes an insert signed by the band.
