A couple of familiar names may entice you to consider the debut, self-titled CD from The Skylighters, a DC-area band who combine bluegrass, western swing, gospel and honky-tonk music. Jimmy Gaudreau on mandolin/vocals and Mike Auldridge on dobro will catch the attention of bluegrassers, and join Eric Brace (guitar/vocals), J. Carson Gray (bass) and Martin Lynds (drums/vocals) to complete the lineup.

The Skylighters’ story will be familiar as well. Heard this one before?

A bunch of musicians in the Washington DC area get together to play for fun, and end up recording and performing their mix of traditional, modern and original music after things click at informal sessions. Include dobro master Mike Auldridge in the telling, and the sense of déjà vu deepens.

It isn’t fair to throw comparisons with Seldom Scene at The Skylighters, but the parallels are interesting, if only in a historical sense.

The music and the mix of styles is perhas more reminiscent of what Gaudreau and Auldridge did with Chesapeake some years back, and might be more properly described as Americana than traditional, bluegrass or roots music.

A track listing and audio samples are available on the Red Beet Records site. Look for the Jukebox link to hear song snippets.