Steve Martine & Edie Brickell – Love Has Come For You (Rounder Records)

Steve Martin’s talent for Bluegrass music continues to blow my mind. He’s taking some time away from the Steep Canyon Rangers, but this collaboration with singer-songwriter Edie Brickell is breathtaking. Martin’s banjo picking is as sharp and timely as ever, and Brickell’s voice is fantastic. Though both artists found success in their own right (Martin goes without saying, and Brickell was an accomplished musician in the late 80s/early 90s), this album ignores the artists’ pasts and looks to the future with happiness and hope. Martin even comes in to sing harmony, showing his vocal chops as well. Final word: I put this on the Nickel Creek tier of beautiful modern folk music. This music inspires me, it really does. This needs to be on rotation. It’s beautiful. I’m going to go do something amazing now. – Austin Lyons, 4/1/13