Old Man Markley
Down Side Up
Fat Wreck Chords
Producer: Fat Mike, Johnny Carey
Score: 6 out of 10
Old Man Markley’s sound is marketed as being at the nexus of punk and bluegrass. And while the L.A. seven-piece’s Down Side Up may be on Fat Wreck Chords and NOFX’s Fat Mike produced it, the truth is, there is very little “punk” to be found here. Listeners get crisp production, stellar musicianship, sugary melodies and a slightly more muscular take on traditional bluegrass. And with ballads such as “Beyond the Moon” and “Too Soon for Goodnight,” there is nothing keeping this disc out of the hands of Old Crow Medicine Show fans. Good times await for those willing to check any predilections for gang-shouted choruses and hardcore breakdowns at the door. ——Albert Vega
