Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver — Burden Bearer

“Brother, have you heard, about the world coming to an end?”

So go the lyrics to the entirely infectious song that I can’t get out of my head, titled “Brother Have You Heard.” And isn’t that the real point of effective gospel, anyway—this inability to stop singing it to yourself, long after Sunday is over? It is a musical healing for any number of conditions you may have had until the song started making you feel better than you have since… well, probably since last Easter, or at least Christmas. If all this not-quite-making-sense is true, then I’m in for an incredibly musical week ahead, as my mind repeats the bluegrass gospel tunes from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver’s Burden Bearer over and over again.

One reason that this album lingers with you is that the songs are so clearly written, with every note and every word seeming inevitable. The other, more compelling, reason is due to the performances of everyone involved. They deliver songs with such honest emotion that each track pierces and stays in your heart.

The album, a mix of classic and new material, contains 20 tracks of nearly perfect bluegrass harmony, with stellar instrumentals to match. On several songs, simplicity rules, with some of the most inspirational (and captivating) a cappella ever.

Maybe the world isn’t quite coming to an end, after all.

Essential Downloads: “Brother Have You Heard,” “You Were Right,” “He’s Everywhere,” “Songs I Heard My Mother Sing.”

To preview or purchase this album on iTunes, click here.