Passionate Pickin'

Anyone who writes a song eventually confronts the notion that originality gets harder as music history gets older. The Gibson Brothers deal with that nagging perception by using the psychology dictum that it’s best to acknowledge fears and stumbling blocks by verbalizing them—or, in their case, by putting them into a song.

“It’s all been done before / Someone’s story is the same,” opens the new “Picker’s Blues,” from Leigh and Eric Gibson’s new Iron & Diamonds, released on April 8, the duo’s fourth album since signing with Sugar Hill Records in 2000 and their eighth overall. By the song’s end, the brothers push aside issues of originality by implying that passion, commitment and playing well can make it worthwhile. They travel the world singing, they say, because they love what they do. They continue because when they hit the right note, the audience responds. That’s when they “walk on air,” the song says. That’s enough to inspire them to write the next song and make the next show.

The Gibson Brothers should find themselves elevating audiences and themselves plenty with Iron & Diamonds. It’s not that the album is all that original; it’s that the brothers connect so well with their songs—a mix of strong, self-written tunes and unusual cover choices for an acoustic quartet. By turns carnal and romantic, or historical and political, the songs form a picture that intrinsically expresses who these guys are and what they care about.

The Gibson Brothers are an anomaly in the world of bluegrass music, and not just because they’re from upstate New York. Most contemporary bluegrass bands try to distinguish themselves through virtuosity, or by trying to push acoustic music into new and progressive directions, or by digging their heels into a tradition-minded stance. Leigh and Eric take a different route: They focus on crisp, distinctive songs—often the weakest link on most bluegrass albums—then arrange them around a strong riff or melody that has little to do with flashy playing but everything to do with being engaging.

They have an adventurous ear for cover songs—the new collection includes deep-catalog tunes by Tom Petty (”Cabin Down Below”), Steve Earle (“The Other Side of Town”), Julie Miller (“Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go”) and Faron Young (“A World So Full of Love”). None of them sounds anything like the originals, which speaks to the brothers’ ability to create fresh arrangements of their own.

They also tackle topics few other bluegrass bands would dare: “Angry Man” is an antiwar song that also protests how our political parties divide instead of unite. “Iron & Diamonds” is about the drudgery of coal mining and how immigrants come to America for opportunity but often end up doing our country’s hardest work. Even their spiritual, “One Step Closer to the Grave,” is mostly about a man recognizing his sinful ways and realizing that the way he’s living may hasten his departure.

A decade has passed since the Gibson Brothers won the prestigious Emerging Artist of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Since then, the Gibsons’ dedication to following their own path has confounded expectations more than living up to them. But as long as they keep walking on air, and persuading audiences to join them, they’ll keep moving on down the road.