“As Above” is the sophomore release by Banjolectric: Gregory Mulkern’s project recasting the banjo as a centerpiece for modern pop music. The instrument is already an icon of Americana and used in contemporary music to add “dust bowl chic” to recordings, but with Banjolectric, Gregory’s passion for the instrument and his all-inclusive appreciation for American music come together to make a pop album of “Americana, Updated” that is fresh, exciting, and hyper-relevant. The album starts with a bi-lingual song mostly in Spanish talking about overcoming the lies that separate people from recognizing our shared humanity. It’s a bold statement about what an “Americana” album should mean in the multicultural America of 2019. Going one step further, the album also features a traditional Turkish tune, recorded with epic production reminiscent of Peter Gabriel’s “Passion.” Then there’s the funky comedic nod to Stevie Wonder and Chic “What I Do,” a raw and unforgiving look at substance abuse in “Another Thing For Pain,” the acoustic early morning love song “Perfect World” (think Nick Drake over coffee in the kitchen), and the proper banjo ballad complete with Tom Waits-style percussion “6 Feet To Go.” As if this pop album wasn’t enough of an argument for rethinking an instrument, and an entire genre, almost the entire album was recorded using just Mulkern’s banjo. The percussion, bass, atmospheric sounds...it was all derived from that one instrument that until now has been woefully typecast in modern music. Banjolectric’s debut album “So Below” (2018) set the stage for Banjolectric’s “Americana, Updated” and “As Above” surprisingly expands on that album with very little overlap, showing Mulkern’s genre versatility and wide-ranging music interests. The third and final album Mulkern has in the works to introduce the project “And In The Middle” is scheduled to release in 2020, and we’ll be watching for it.