Turtles Deliver Unique Blend of Bluegrass on "Palomino"

Bluegrass music may seem alien in a metropolitan city like Boston, but after taking just a moment to listen to Trampled by Turtle’s fifth studio album, “Palomino,” such limitations quickly lose their meaning. That’s because while the Duluth, MN based quintet may be built like a traditional bluegrass band, their style is something stunningly more innovative.

With Dave Simonett performing vocals and guitar, Tim Saxhaug on bass, Dave Carroll on banjo, Erik Berry on mandolin and Ryan Young on fiddle, the band started in 2003 after the members’ previous rock bands split. However, the spirit of rock endured in Trampled by Turtles, giving their music an exceptional energy.

The explosive tempo of the chords in songs like “Help You” and “New Son/Burnt Iron,” are played with enough proficient technical skill that would make most speed metal guitarists envious.

"Whether [playing faster] should be happening or not, it is," said Berry in an interview with MPR.

"It was really a reaction to the energy of the room, the crowd and the song itself," said Simonett in the same interview.

The lyrics of “Palomino,” like in previous albums, are theme about of love, loss and coarse survival: “You might have bent the matchstick / and your heart was gasoline / In the morning when the snow comes risin’ / you’ll know if you’ll be seen.”

“Palomino” does feature some more modestly-paced jam songs like “Bloodshot Eyes” and “Separate” that either serve as filler or balance for the rest of the album, depending on personal preference.

The album is an all-around unique blend of musical genres; don’t expect anything dreary enough to be found in a grandparent’s music collection, but don’t expect the flashiness of a hip-hop or pop album either. Simply, “Palomino” is an honest and expertly-composed expression of the full spectrum of human emotions, minus any pretentiousness.