Album Review – Low Water Bridge Band’s “Back to the Valley”

If you love the vibe of Virginia’s 49 Winchester, the camaraderie and cross-genre chemistry of North Carolina’s Town Mountain, and the harmonies of outfits like Shane Smith & the Saints and The Wilder Blue, then the Low Water Bridge Band and their brand new album Back to the Valley will slide right into your playlist nice and smoothly, and be stubborn on finding its way out.
This band embodies the very kind of roots-based sound and insistence on quality songwriting that has spearheaded the country music insurgency bursting out from country music’s mother land. Proudly from the Shenandoah Valley, these boys from Berryville sing fondly of their home, and thread their experiences there through these original songs.
The Low Water Bridge Band consists of Logan Moore (guitar, vocals), Alex Kerns (bass, vocals), Riley Kerns (drums, background vocals), James Montgomery (lead guitar), Justin Carver (pedal steel, banjo), and Rudy Bzdyk (fiddle, trumpet, keyboards). Founded in 2020, the band released their debut album Midnight in Virginia in 2021 to a warm reception, however regional it might have been. They have performed all around the greater Virginia and East Coast area since.
But with the swelling appetite that’s proven itself to be insatiable for authenticity from the Appalachia region, the Low Water Bridge Band is ripe to arrive nationally with Back to the Valley. They show their aptitude with a wide range of country roots inspirations, from waltzes to more straightforward stuff, even to a ’50s-sounding Doo-Woppy song in “Hope It’s You” that like so many of the tracks of the album, exploit the group’s strong harmonies.

Many of these songs come with a dark, gothic feel, and for good reason. Death is always close in the Shenandoah where nature can be unforgiving, and so can its inhabitants. This is the reason songs of death and murder balladry emanated from this area early on.
There’s also a little bit of The Band in the Low Water approach—in the way they avoid the well-worn grooves of music to go exploring for untouched ground, and sometimes include instruments or changes that are a little unexpected and exotic, but welcome nonetheless.
Also similar to The Band, multiple members of Low Water are capable of writing and singing a song. In fact it’s the rhythm section that has the most writing credits on the album, with bassist Alex Kerns making up the majority, and brother Riley on drums also writing a couple. It’s also the brothers’ blood harmonies that help enhance what this band does. But Logan Moore is officially the lead singer, and starts off the album strongly with the haunting song “Sirens of the Shenandoah.”
Where for years country music wanted to get away from its roots, now it’s returning to them. As they sing about in “600 Reasons,” the Low Water Bridge Band believed for a bit that maybe Nashville is where they belonged, but found themselves, their sound, and their voice by leaning into their roots in the Shenandoah Valley.
1 3/4 Guns Up
– – – – – – – – – –
Purchase from the Low Water Bridge Band
November 29, 2023 @ 9:24 am
Saw these guys open a few months back for Riley Downing and really enjoyed it. Have been pretty impressed with this album so far as well. Solid stuff.
November 29, 2023 @ 10:48 pm
Wow! I just took in the two sample tracks and they revealed plenty of subtle surprises and twists.
I’m very impressed.
SCM never fails to deliver!
November 29, 2023 @ 11:01 pm
Thank you Trigger. I’m seriously digging at least 5 tracks immediately and assume the other 5 will continue to grow on me. Whiskey Dark, Hope It’s You, Place On A Hill, Small Town Affair, and She Don’t Answer are the immediate standouts. They have a different and refreshing yet familiar and comfortable sound. Many thanks!
November 29, 2023 @ 11:52 pm
This is the reason I have many years visiting this site. This was an awesome first listen. I think your review nailed it. Impressive all around. Instrumentation really shines. We really are in a time of just so many quality artists. I don’t know if this make sense but this hit like an instant comfort zone. I will definitely check them out live if it can.
November 30, 2023 @ 12:40 am
This is exactly why I love this site. Turning me on to artists I most likely wouldn’t have stumbled on. Album is really impressive on a first listen, and since I’m about an hour and a half away from where these guys are from I’ll be on the lookout for local shows.
November 30, 2023 @ 2:02 am
first album kept poppin up in my feed for a while, i really liked it. Iìm confident this new one is even better!
November 30, 2023 @ 5:50 am
I found their first album a year ago and they quickly became my favorite new band. Its a mix of all my favorite genres in one. Great sophomore album too and I hope more people continue to discover them.
November 30, 2023 @ 6:23 am
This album was a treat for the ears this morning. Thanks.
November 30, 2023 @ 7:45 am
I liked these guys first album Midnight In Virginia. Didn’t realize they had a new one. The band has a good variety of sounds from bluegrass to 70’s southern rock, but blend it into something new and original. The singer has one of those voices you kinda have to get used to. Reminds me a little of Lucas Nelson. But once you do, these guys are great. Gonna listen to this today. Thanks.
November 30, 2023 @ 7:58 am
Off subject from this band, but related, if you’re looking for some good new country music with a little southern rock check out the new album from Conner Stephens & Country Worms. These guys have a fun mix of Honkey Tonk and Southern Rock. Ellis Bullard makes a feature appearance. If you’re a fan of Ellis, Rob Leines, or Pug Johnson, you’ll like these guys.
November 30, 2023 @ 7:10 pm
Pug Johnson and Ellis Bullard are two of my favorites right now. Amazing sound. Stephens sounds good. Sometimes the comments on this site are just as great as triggers recommendations
November 30, 2023 @ 8:12 pm
Thanks. Trigger can’t get to them all, so I’m happy when I can pass something on someone else likes.
I’m with you on Ellis and Pug. Wore em both out over the summer by the pool. Excited for Ellis’’ new album, and Pug said he’s getting songs ready for the next one now.
November 30, 2023 @ 1:49 pm
Been singing their praises for years I’m glad more people are finally catching on
December 1, 2023 @ 8:58 am
Halfway through my third spin of this album and I’m really digging it. Wouldn’t have found it without the review, thanks for the work Trigger!
December 3, 2023 @ 8:46 pm
Trigger, once again, thank you! These guys are going to be in the rotation…Glad to see Virginia jumping into the game alongside our neighbors in Kentucky and West Virginia.
December 5, 2023 @ 3:19 am
Thanks for bringing this band to our attention. They make some compelling music, and I am interested to try to seem them live. That being said, I’m sad to say that I don’t think this album will make it into my frequent rotation—because of the harsh juxtaposition between the vocals and the lyrics. The opening track embodies the issue for me—it starts out with a nice, mellow groove, but when the vocal drops in his voice is so nasally and hollow that I find it jarring. Even worse when they harmonize later.
I wish it didn’t bug me, but it does. I’m not going to completely give up on it, I’ll see if I acclimatize over time. But as it sits now, the contrast between how rich and sonically pleasing they are musically and how harsh the vocals sound to me makes it a less enjoyable listen.
December 6, 2023 @ 3:31 pm
Great album…little bit of Mike and the Moonpies (Slow Down) and Gemini-era Tyler (Place on a Hill and Small Town Affair) and…Fleetwood (She Don’t Answer)?
But what’s with the autotune or reverb on his voice in Dear Lord? It bugs me every time — at first, I figured it was tongue-in-cheek a la Zach Bryan’s if She Wants a Cowboy, but I can’t figure out the joke…anyone get it?
January 5, 2024 @ 5:56 pm
Haha. I know exactly what you mean. However, I thought is was a perfect fit for that song. Dude is getting wasted and drowning in alcohol so that effect works perfect. Literally sounds like he’s drowning. Great song and great band. They will be big soon, you can book it.
December 7, 2023 @ 6:06 pm
Love LWBB!!! Seen them a couple handful of times and each time gets better and better. And I have friends where the more they see them, the more they like them. This new CD is on heavy rotation. Can’t recommend these guys enough and so happy that they are local for me!
And great review Trig because I love Moonpies, Town Mountain, and Shane Smith. Thanks for spreading the word on more unknown bands like these guys!!