Remedy

Old Crow Medicine Show, Virginia's modern string band, has come a long way since 2006's self-titled debut album and breakout track "Wagon Wheel." Originally an unfinished Bob Dylan demo from the Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid sessions, it was completed by Ketcham Secor and has become a 21st century Americana standard. Produced by Ted Hutt, Remedy is the band's fifth album and most polished recording -- but that doesn't mean slick. The organic instrumentation that felt lacking on 2012's Carry Me Back returns here, with tighter arrangements, closer harmonies, and better dynamics. That thumping upright bass is mixed right up front with banjos, fiddles, and mandolins. Dylan sent them another demo -- from the same sessions that produced "Wagon Wheel" -- but "Sweet Amarillo" is a more formal co-write. Secor sent his finished version back to Dylan, who made further changes before it was recorded. This song is where Virginia mountain music meets Texas hill country-dancehall waltz. It's driven