Whitewater Ramble - Pseudonymous (2020)

Pseudonymous marks WhiteWater Ramble’s third studio release in its 15-year history, and seven years since the release of their acclaimed 2013 album Roots & Groove. Lead by Patrick Sites, the band’s newest release features 14 original cuts that offer up special guest appearances by Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous Stringdusters on Banjo, Joey Porter of The Motet on clavinet, and the vocal chops of Jessica Jones, Adam Lufkin and The Black Swan Singers lead by Sheryl Renee of The Contribution.

The album title and cover art reflect the history of the group and rotational cast of characters that fill WhiteWater Ramble’s rich history. Members past and present have contributed to these songs in either spirit or directly in the flesh, which also creates a bit of anonymity. Being anonymous means you can’t be identified by name, but pseudonymous means someone who uses a false name. WhiteWater Ramble is the vessel through which these tracks are released, but the songs represent a lot of people and history.

This collection of songs is genre-spanning to say the least. From the opening track you will know the group has evolved as the sound of chains and hitting dumpsters are morphed into the musical stylings that make up “Broken Rocks.” The first single and focus track entitled “3 Minutes 2 Spare” hits on the funk-tastic side of the group as they set aside the acoustic instruments in favor of the electrics and feature the clavinet mastery of Joey Porter. At the other side of the genre bending table is the high-energy big band swing piece “This Ol’ Guitar,” which serves up horns and strings inter-weaving through melodies in a throwback tribute to the ‘30s and ‘40s. Long time WWR fans will find bliss with “Hollow,” showcasing the band’s jamgrass chops and the driving banjo of Chris Pandolfi.

Known for their diversity of genre, open-ended improvisational jams and inclusion of key special guests, WWR stayed true to form with their newest release, but with one key difference–Pseudonymous focuses the listening experience into 4 minute (or less) tracks and more concisely features the hooks and song than the “jam.”