Leaving Eden Nonesuch***

There's no shortage of string bands playing old-time American music, but it's relatively rare for African- Americans to be among them. The legendary Lead Belly, among others, saw himself as a folk singer. And now Carolina Chocolate Drops, on their second album, continue their vibrant quest to reclaim this hardcore sound of rural America. There are 15 tracks, some traditional, some covers and a couple of impressive originals. The music is raw and edgy, with the harsh percussive sound of the banjo and the fiddle set against the soaring pure tone of Rhiannon Giddens's voice, not least on her own Country Girl, No Man's Mamaand her high-lonesome a-capella reading of Hazel Dickens's Pretty Bird. Buddy Miller's no-frills production keeps the energy high, and while most of these songs hail from a long gone era, there's nothing dated about the passion they generate.  carolinachocolatedrops.com

Download tracks: Country Girl, No Man's Mama