O Sister! The Women’s Bluegrass Collection (Rounder) Rating: NNN
With the O Sister! sampler, Rounder tries to capitalize on the interest in the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack by repackaging the old-timey music from their extensive back catalogue, the novel marketing twist being women singing lead. Had they bothered to consider why the O Brother disc is selling, Rounder might’ve selected songs that focus on the soulful feel of real voices rather than the banjo and fiddle sound of bluegrass heavily featured here. In amongst all the happy, peppy breakdowns, it’s only the Hazel Dickens and Ginny Hawker tunes that really hit the mark.
