It’s pretty safe to assume that most bluegrass purists don’t quite know what to make of Bad Livers. Their music has always been somewhat irreverent, even approaching parody at times, what with songs like “Shit Creek” in their catalog. But even the staunchest traditionalist cannot totally dismiss them, because these guys can flat-out play; Danny Barnes and Mark Rubin are world-class musicians by anyone’s standards. Their now-trademark, eclectic virtuosity is unbridled on Industry And Thrift, where they gleefully toss everything but the slop-jar into the mix.

Down-home-styled tunes are still plentiful, though; “Lumpy, Beanpole & Dirt,” “I’m Goin’ Back to Mom and Dad,” and “Brand New Hat” are fairly straight-sounding songs that could have come from any of their previous recordings. However, a desire to play other musical styles has definitely made its way onto this release. “Jalopy,” for instance, might be termed Appalachian chamber music – think parasols and mint juleps. There’s a Yiddish waltz (“A Yid ist Geboren inz Oklahoma”), a couple of nice mournful, even heartfelt slow tunes (“Captain, Oh Captain” and “Anna Lee”), and, for the first time, the Livers go electric on the burner “Doin’ My Time.” “I’m Convicted,” cinched to a cheap-sounding drum track and hypnotic banjo drone, might very well be the first technograss song and ranks as one of their finest tunes. Forays into past genres such as ragtime and jug-band music add further dimension.

While a careening, stylistic hayride such as this might throw some listeners off, it’s all in good fun and serves mainly to show Barnes/Rubin’s love and respect for the musical legacy of the South and, most importantly, their ability to wed it to the present.

– David Kendall