Last Man Standing * by Ryan Shupe (CD, May-2008, Montage Music Group)

Entering their second decade, Shupe and the Rubberband continue to specialize in a hybrid sound that combines string band acoustics, bluegrass harmonies, rock bass and drums, and the complex changes of progressive rock and funk. And though their songs are filled with easily accessible melodic hooks, their instrumental chops are substantial. After a brief dalliance with the majors for the DRM-infested “Dream Big” in 2005 (on which Shupe described himself with tongue-in-cheek as a banjo player that’s “a cross between Béla Fleck and Eddie Vedder, but better”), they’ve moved on to the Montage Music Group for this latest release.

The opening of the first track, “Don’t Leave Me Lonely,” sounds as if it was plucked from Nils Lofgren’s 1975 solo debut, and with fiddle and country vocal harmonies, the arrangement suggests “melodic country-rock ahead.” That notion is quickly sidetracked by the funky fiddle, drums and banjo (yes, funky banjo) that open “Last Man Standing (Number One),” leaving the listener to wonder what this band is about. The off-balancing act continues through the rest of the disc as foot-stomping guitar-and-fiddle gives way to pop, bluegrass, flamenco, hick-funk and progressive folk. Shupe writes frequently of protagonists longing for love, including “Don’t Leave Me Lonely,” “Please Be Mine,” “All I Need” and “Be the One,” but strikes his deepest chord with the indelible portrait of “Lonely Person.” The missed opportunities of “So” speaks of missed opportunities, “If You Could Live a Different Life” ponders just-in-time escapes, and the album’s funniest work, the talking blues “Corndogs,” is a love song to everyone’s favorite carnival food.

Shupe’s songs are more memorable than his voice, which is serviceable but not particularly distinctive; the group’s harmony singing fills things out nicely, however. Fans will enjoy this latest chapter in the band’s catalog, bluegrass loyalists may find this happy hybrid insufficiently traditional, and rock fans may think this too pop. All will agree that the band’s mix is original, and their musicianship is top-notch. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2008 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]