It has been over forty years since the New Acoustic scene emerged, shaking up the rather tradition-minded bluegrass world with a then-younger generation of musicians mixing in jazz, rock and some world music influence into the context of bluegrass instrumentation. Over the decades, the style has become more or less mainstream, and the genre’s iconoclastic founders have become the more or less the elder statesmen of the music. New generations have come along, notably in the early 2000s with Nickel Creek and Chris Thile. A further generation has also emerged, epitomized by the artist on this week’s album, mandolinist Sierra Hull, whose new release in called A Tip Toe High Wire, the title of which she says describes the kind of balance of styles and influences she combines on the album.

Like a number of the luminaries in the New Acoustic world like Béla Fleck or Billy Strings, Sierra Hull was something of a prodigy, starting on the mandolin at age 8. Her parents took her to numerous bluegrass festivals, and at age 11, she was befriended by Alison Krauss, who herself was also a child prodigy. By age 13, Ms. Hull was signed to Rounder Records, who released her debut album when she as 16. She accepted a Presidential Scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music. Along the way, she won several awards at from the International Bluegrass Music Association. We featured her 2016 release, Weighted Mind previously on this series, an album produced by Béla Fleck. Now at age 33, Ms. Hull is out with her sixth album, her first in five years.

Ms. Hull is a first rate vocalist and songwriter, but she also likes to play instrumental bluegrass and New Acoustic, so this album’s title A Tip Toe High Wire reflects the dichotomy of her pursuits. There are more produced songs with a little electric guitar and drums, and also more acoustic material. She handles it all with aplomb. She is joined for the first time on an album by her regular touring band with Shaun Richardson on guitar, Avery Merritt on fiddle, Erik Coveney on bass and Mark Raudabaugh on drums. There are notable cameo appearance, including Béla Fleck on banjo on an instrumental piece, and songwriters Tim O’Brien and Aiofe O’Donovan as backing vocalists.

The songs are intelligent lyrically, and pleasing in their arrangements, with potential appeal to open-minded country music fans, and even those who like to like their bluegrass a bit more traditional.

Opening is one the less-traditional-sounding songs, a piece called Boom with a bluesy, almost funky groove, as the song describes that feeling of suddenly falling in love. <<>>

With an almost old-timey sound is a song called Come Out of My Blues which builds to an energetic crescendo around its optimistic lyrics. <<>>

A track called Muddy Water reflects the singer-songwriter side of Ms. Hull, with its more produced sound. It’s another outstanding piece. <<>>

One of two instrumentals on the album is Lord That’s a Long Way, which is in sort of classic New Acoustic style – energetic with impressive musicianship and eclectic influences. <<>>

A song called Spitfire is sort of autobiographical, or rather inspired by Ms Hull’s grandmother, who was widowed at an early age and became a feisty character. <<>>

Aiofe O’Donovan appears on another of the more interesting tracks, Let’s Go. It combines a more energetic sound a couple of jam sections. <<>>

The track featuring Béla Fleck is the other instrumental, called E Tune which is a chance for Ms. Hull to get in her New Acoustic bona fides, though the piece gets somewhat electric, with amplified guitar and drums. <<>>

The album closes with a piece called Haven Hill an appealing song in waltz time that considers the arc of a lifetime, from birth to death. <<>>

Sierra Hull’s new album A Tip Toe High Wire her first in five years and her first independent release, is an excellent example of the New New Acoustic scene, with its wide stylistic range, while still maintaining the instrumentation of bluegrass. Ms. Hull is a fine songwriter and a very appealing vocalist, reminiscent of Alison Krauss, who was an early mentor. The band is a tight-knit group with the arrangements always tasteful, and never tipping into the more commercial country side, despite the presence of electric guitar and drums.

Our grade for audio quality is a B-plus, for a warm sound on the acoustic instruments and vocals, but the usual excessive volume compression robbing the dynamics of the performances, something more acutely felt in acoustic music.

Like some of her predecessors in the New Acoustic and bluegrass world, Sierra Hull has gone from being a child prodigy to a significant and musically well-rounded figure on the scene. Her new album is a most worthwhile reminder of that.

(c) Copyright 2025 George D. Graham. All rights reserved.
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