Drum Hat Buddha

1	Ordinary Town / Tracy Grammer 2:48
2	Tillman Co. / Tracy Grammer 3:26
3	Disappering Man / Tracy Grammer 3:49
4	The Power and Glory / Tracy Grammer 2:45
5	236-6132 / Tracy Grammer 3:04
6	41 Thunderer / Tracy Grammer 5:03
7	Gentle Arms of Eden / Tracy Grammer 3:03
8	I Go Like the Raven / Tracy Grammer 3:35
9	Highway 80 (She's a Mighty Good Road) / Tracy Grammer 2:23
10	Love, the Magician / Tracy Grammer 4:18
11	Merlin's Lament / Tracy Grammer 3:35
12	Gentle Soldier of My Soul / Tracy Grammer 3:28

Barnes & Noble

Dave Carter’s haunting words and voice are a synergy of styles and influences of folk storytelling. This new work, with the vocal and musical collaboration of multi-instrumentalist partner Tracy Grammer, is a good example of postmodern urban folk music at its most mosaic. The CD samples a rich heritage of both old and new folk idioms, and Carter’s songs appropriately draw from multiple styles, ranging from bluegrass and country to blues and contemporary folk rock. The synthesis makes for a lush, familiar, and polished sound with a singular strength: Carter is a sophisticated storyteller who can lyrically reach into the past to achieve a more contemporary sound, with seamless panache. Both “Merlin’s Lament” and “Ordinary Town” invoke James Taylor and Joni Mitchell yet command a unique lyricism all their own. Drum Hat Buddha marks the most recent stage in the evolution of a musical sound that acknowledges the past while weaving a tapestry all its own. -- Elena Simon

All Music Guide

Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer would be impressive as solo artists, but together they have become the up-and-coming duo to keep an eye on. Drum Hat Buddha follows the critically acclaimed Tanglewood Tree, featuring the same dense, symbol-filled lyrics set to fairly straightforward arrangements. Multiple violins and a cello perfectly underpin "Disappearing Man," a quiet melody that evokes a new birth -- a coming of age -- with Grammer's lovely vocal carrying the weight of the old-world religious imagery. Carter, aided by Grammer's harmony, sings the magnetic "41 Thunderer," painting a tale of the old West in a few spare words. "Highway 80" is an upbeat country stomper in the same mold as "Hey Conductor" from Tanglewood Tree, while "236-6132" is a bouncy recollection of a lover's phone number. Most of these lyrics are very heavy, and their meaning isn't always obvious. "Love, the Magician" begins much like Townes Van Zandt's "Tecumseh Valley," only to blossom into a mystical story of runaway lovers. When the father finally believes he has cornered the lovers, a pair of lovebirds appear and fly away. All of these songs are supported by good instrumental work, with Grammer's violin adding atmospheric touches and Carter's guitar providing a tasteful acoustic backdrop. Overall, Drum Hat Buddha holds up well to Grammer and Carter's earlier work, though it is hard to match the quality of songs like "The Mountain" and "Walkin' Away From Caroline" from Tanglewood Tree. Fans will not get hung up over this. Instead, they'll concentrate on the great harmony, opaque lyrics, and acoustic sound they've come to expect from this exciting folk duo. Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.