CD REVIEW: Henhouse Prowlers wrap dark rumors in light strings

By Diana Nollen

Chicago's Henhouse Prowlers have crafty a foxy CD, building “A Dark Rumor” on solid bluegrass.

Eastern Iowans will have two chances to hear this award-winning band, with gigs Friday night (3/5) at the Iowa City Yacht Club and Sunday night (3/7) at Parlor City Pub and Eatery in Cedar Rapids.

Be sure to give them your full attention so you don't miss the lyrics dripping in a finger-lickin' mix of moonshine and barbecue goo. It's a saucy combination of old-timey string band pluckiness and Southern fried tales of woe and scandal.

It's oh, so scintillating.

Most of the melodies belie the somber lyrics, making it easy to clap and tap your toes or get up and give someone a twirl. But when the tempos do slow down, you'll hear a mournful elegy that draws teary images as “Angeline Malone” is laid to rest in a wooden box beneath an old tree or an instrumental walk with heads hung low in “Hadley's Lament.”

But hey, these five musicians from Illinois, North Carolina, upstate New York and Missouri say they're out to have a good time. And they do just that, putting a hoedown feel to the opener, “Turn Me Loose,” and “10 Miles More.” 

They even manage to put an infectious spin to “Uncle Bubba,” as sad as any story you'll hear about the awful reality of “being poor and black in 1961,” not wanting to end up “staring at the wrong end of a gun.” It showcases gorgeous tight harmony that is the hallmark of the band's sound.

As long as they bring their banjos, guitars, fiddles and voices, these prowlers will be welcome in any henhouse.

FAST TAKEArtist information: www.henhouseprowlers.com

Title: “A Dark Rumor”

Artist: The Henhouse Prowlers

Label: Self-published

In Iowa City: 9:30 Friday, March 5, Iowa City Yacht Club 13 S Linn St.; $6; www.iowacityyachtclub.com 

In Cedar Rapids: 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 7, Parlor City Pub and Eatery, 1125 Third St. SE; free admission; www.parlorcitypub.com