Crowe Brothers: Josh Crowe (vocals, tenor, guitar); Wayne Crowe (vocals, upright bass); Steve Thomas (guitar, mandolin, fiddle); Randy Kohrs (lap steel guitar, dobro); Don Wayne Reno, Steve Sutton (banjo); Darren Nicholson, Ronnie McCoury (mandolin); Buck White (piano, keyboards); Shawn Apple (percussion).

Personnel: Wayne Crowe (vocals, upright bass); Darren Nicholson (mandolin).

Liner Note Author: Charlie Louvin.

Recording information: GainTrain Studios (2007).

Unknown Contributor Roles: Randy Kohrs; Ronnie McCoury.

The Crowe Brothers, Josh and Wayne, founded their bluegrass duo in the 1970s, carrying on the close-harmony tradition of great fraternal duos like the Stanley Brothers. Three decades on, they sound as fresh as ever on the aptly titled BROTHERS-N-HARMONY, as their voices intertwine in a blend only siblings can achieve. Atop traditional bluegrass arrangements full of fiery fiddle and percolating banjo picking, the Crowe Brothers croon songs like the Louvin Brothers' "Are You Teasing Me," and others that keep the old-school high-lonesome spirit alive and well in the 21st century.

The Crowe Brothers have been singing and playing together all their lives and professionally since 1975. They're Grand Ole Opry regulars and their deeply traditional style draws on the "brother sound" of the Stanleys, the Louvins, the Osbornes, and the Wilburns, as well as bluegrass, folk, and old-fashion pre-Nashville country. Their faces show they've been travelin' that hard road for a while, but their voices are youthful and full of spring, with high wailing sibling harmonies that send chills down your spine. Backed by some of the best pickers in the genre, they tear through a dozen tunes with masterful aplomb. "Cindy Mae" written by Pine Mountain Railroad's Cody Shuler opens the set on a high note with the brothers' warm high harmonies and Steve Sutton's jaunty banjo adding to the tune's playful feel. Josh Crowe's "Million for a Broken Heart" is an old-time country tune given a workout that's halfway between Bob Wills and Hank Williams; Steve Thomas' fiddle, Randy Kohrs' lap steel and dobro, and the honky tonk piano of special guest Buck White give the tune a smooth swinging treatment. The Louvins' "Are You Teasin' Me?" is an old favorite, but sounds brand new when the Crowes wrap their warm high harmonies around the lyric, Thomas' fiddle and Sutton's banjo trade fours between verses. The brothers engage in a little Sunday morning call and response on the vocals when they sing "I Know I'm Saved," an uplifting bluegrass gospel tune. Don Reno brings his lyrical, Dixieland style banjo to his own composition "Better Luck Next Time," a weepy song of heartbreak and betrayal that the brothers make their own with their soulful vocals. Thomas and his bluesy fiddling put the icing on the tear soaked cake. "God Must Be a Cowboy" celebrates the pleasures of the wide-open spaces and hard work, while "Country Boy Rock & Roll" another Don Reno tune, closes the set with some faster than light picking that's pure bluegrass and not at all rock & roll with Ronnie McCoury adding his impressive mandolin work to the ensemble. There's nothing new here, but if you're a lover of traditional music -- folk, bluegrass or country -- that shouldn't put you off. The warmth, sincerity, musicianship, and open-hearted joy the Crowe Brothers bring to every note they sing and play makes this album a delight from start to finish. ~ j. poet