Billy Strings' 'So Much for Goodbyes' turns grief into bluegrass art

The album's title and cover art are based on a collage Apostol was working on the night she died, according to The Guardian. The closing instrumental, "Debra's Waltz," bears her name, and the record's songs repeatedly circle themes of grief, memory and family trauma, even when their surface subjects appear unrelated. "I made this record to honor my mother," he said in a statement carried by Premier Guitar.

"To notice and embrace this very significant period of grief in my life and make art from it. To turn my heartbreak into songs while using my guitar as a coping mechanism as I always have." None of the 16 songs surpass seven minutes, according to Billboard, and the album leans toward introspection rather than the psychedelic jams that have earned him a Deadhead-like following known as the Billy Goats. Still, the guitarist's signature dexterity remains, with The Guardian noting his "astonishingly dextrous" picking and a supporting quartet capable of working up "a ferociously propulsive head of steam" without a drummer.

The album features guest appearances from Del McCoury, Alison Krauss, Bryan Sutton and Jack White, and was co-produced by T Bone Burnett alongside Strings. It arrives as Strings continues an extensive headline tour, with stops planned in Boston, Portland, Denver, Los Angeles and San Diego this fall. So Much for Goodbyes is available on vinyl in black, wood grain and sun core variants, all produced in the United States.

Musically, the record marks a departure from the extended improvisation that defines Strings' live shows.