Renewal

Renewal, the sequel to his Grammy-winning Rounder debut Home, finds Billy Strings following a similar path that he did on his breakthrough record. The instrumentation and format are traditional bluegrass, while the songwriting is progressive and the execution is heartfelt and lively, elements that make Renewal feel vital and vibrant. At 70 minutes, Renewal runs a bit long but its momentum never ceases and the extra space allows for Strings and his supple, intuitive band to push at the boundaries of where traditional and progressive bluegrass meet. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine