"Shenandoah Breakdown" cruises along with speedy, highly engaging bluegrass. "Mauna Bowa" has you up on the dance floor and moving to the warm grooves of calypso, and the blues of "Hey Pocky Way," complete with the band's undeniable funk grooves and dance energy, makes you want to shake, rattle, and smile to the friendly sounds the band creates. And that's just disc one.

Disc two gets you moving once again. "Footprints" is a soothing blend of jazz, world beat, and a slight funk thump, which will have you holding your loved one tight as you heat up the night with this slow dance groove. "Birdland" infuses punchy bluegrass into the show yet again, whereas the world beat of "Jellyfish" will have you moving once again to the enjoyable grooves the band creates. And then there is "Texas," the album closer. A funky groove with the dazzling jazz elements the band infuses and you're set.

The term "party band" is definitely fitting here. But, it is also too narrow-minded. The band can party, and makes you dance on nearly every track. But, they're so much more. They're an engaging band that brings a good time to any festival, venue, or club they play. They're a traveling carnival, as the title of the album suggests, and this album is proof of that. I'll give it a B.

String and Return, The: Invisible City

Stringtown Road: Chamomile and Color TV

[Issue Thirty // April-May 2000]