Songs of the Carter Family by Pam Linton is not merely an album—it is an embrace, a woven quilt of musical heritage, crafted by a woman whose voice is as warm and strong as an old cast iron stove. Pam Linton, with her small frame and mighty spirit, steps into the shoes of the Carter Family with reverence and resolve, offering renditions that are as sincere as they are refreshing.
From the first strum of “Keep on the Sunnyside,” one is transported to a time when music was born of earth and sweat, when melodies were companions on long journeys and harmonies wrapped around hearts like warm shawls. Pam’s voice, honeyed yet steely, carries the listener through the 15 tracks like a guide on a pilgrimage through Americana’s sacred ground. She draws from the Carter Family’s vast treasury with discernment, selecting songs that reflect both the universality and intimacy of their work. Each track is a chapter in a storybook, told with love and fidelity.
Recorded in North Carolina, this album pays homage to the Carters’ traditional sound while offering just enough modern edge to welcome a new generation of listeners. The balance Pam strikes is pleasant; the music retains its roots while blooming anew.
“ Wildwood Flower” is a standout, its gentle lilt and tender picking reminiscent of front porch serenades at sunset. Pam’s voice, clear as a mountain stream, illuminates the original lyrics with an almost reverent clarity, reminding us of the song’s enduring legacy. Similarly, “Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow” becomes a lament so haunting it feels etched into the marrow of anyone who hears it.
BIOGRAPHY: https://www.sherwinlinton.com/pam%20biography.htm
Not every song seeks to echo the sorrow of the hills; “Foggy Mountain Top” and “Wabash Cannon Ball” are spirited jaunts, their rhythms imbued with the joy of life on the move. Pam dances through these tracks with a lightness that belies the depth of her connection to the material. It is this juxtaposition—the weight of history delivered with the grace of a bird in flight—that makes the album soar.
The album feels, above all else, like a labor of love. There are no gimmicks here, no unnecessary adornments. Instead, Pam offers heartfelt renditions of songs that evoke simpler times, though they are anything but simple. These are songs of longing and belonging, of love and loss, of faith and perseverance. Tracks like “Give Me the Roses While I Live” and “Farther On” become meditations on gratitude and hope, sung with a sincerity that cuts through the noise of modern life.
Perhaps the only critique is that the breadth of the selection might feel overwhelming to some. But how can one fault an artist for wanting to share so much beauty? Each track is a gift, and Pam Linton delivers them with the humility and grace of someone who knows what it means to walk the King’s Highway.
In Songs of the Carter Family, Pam Linton does more than sing; she channels. She is the whisper of the past and the promise of its future. This album is a testament to tradition, a love letter to Americana, and a triumph of the human spirit expressed through music.
Chadwick Easton