No Other Way

1	Mountain Man 3:44
2	Ramblin' Heart 2:58
3	The Spirit Moved 5:11
4	Real Time Instrumental 3:00
5	Go Away 3:23
6	Gambler's Blues 2:17
7	Faithless Heart 4:26
8	On My Way Back to You 2:02
9	Tedious and Tasteless 4:26
10	How Strong Do My Walls Have to Be 3:22
11	Big Sky 3:13
12	Lee Highway Blues Instrumental 4:34

Barnes & Noble

Striking a compelling balance between the progressive and the traditional, Mountain Heart serve notice on their Ricky Skaggs–produced debut that they're a force to be dealt with; more to the point, the quintet reveal great spirit and deep soul with each note sung and every lick played, an authoritative display that indicates a bountiful future at the forefront of the bluegrass world. Exemplary instrumentalists all, the band are also blessed with three formidable lead vocalists in Steve Gulley (who provides a piercing, awe-inspiring mountain tenor that evokes Del McCoury at his keening best), Barry Abernathy (whose bluesy timbre and emotional pitch suggest Union Station's Dan Tyminski), and Adam Steffey, whose masculine, reportorial style puts the chill into "Big Sky," a haunting account of a frontier gun battle. In "Faithless Heart," "Ramblin' Heart," and "Go Away," Mountain Heart deliver the pain of failed romances in full 3-D; in "The Spirit Moved" and the traditional "Tedious and Tasteless" (if ever a song title was classic, this is it), they dig deep for some moving spiritual testimonials sung with deep conviction; and in the album-closing instrumental, "Lee Highway Blues," the players demonstrate some breathtaking solo work in the midst of a solid ensemble conversation. There's a lot of Del McCoury Band sensibility to Mountain Heart, and that's a real fine place to start. Here's where a scintillating journey begins. David McGee

All Music Guide

On their last album, The Journey, bluegrass combo Mountain Heart thoroughly committed to their spiritual natures, offering an all-gospel affair. With No Other Way, the group mingles gospel selections ("The Spirit Moved," "Tedious and Tasteless") with more secular tales of the downtrodden and weak in spirit ("Faithless Heart," "Gambler's Blues"). As a result, this is an album with a more comprehensive appeal than The Journey. And as one would expect, the musicianship is first rate. Mountain Heart consists of alumni from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (Jimmy VanCleve, Steve Gulley, and Bary Abernathy) -- that seeming farm team for the bluegrass big leagues, as well as a former Union Station member on mandolin (Adam Steffey). This is a slicker, more cosmopolitan bluegrass with a broad appeal, and not for hardcore purists looking for rougher edges and dark hollers. Blue Highway dobro whiz Rob Ickes guests on three tracks. Ricky Skaggs produced the album. ~ Erik Hage, All Music Guide