Rising Colorado Jamgrass Band Magoo Makes Studio Debut With ‘What A Life’ [Review]

With a pair of EPs already under its belt, budding Colorado bluegrass band Magoo has steadily grown since its first shows just a couple years ago. As acclaim builds alongside crowd and venue sizes, Magoo has released its full-length studio debut, What A Life. The quartet of dobroist Dylan Flynn, guitarist Erik Hill, mandolinist Courtlyn Bills, and bassist Denton Turner might be somewhat new to the scene, but they are making their name ring out loud and clear on stages coast to coast.

What A Life features a few updated versions of tunes from Magoo’s previous two EPs, but as a single package, these tracks form a cohesive whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. With that in mind, let’s take a deep dive into the new disc’s ten tunes.

1. “Ohio Blues”

Lyrically, “Ohio Blues” mines the sorrow of being torn between one’s actual home and the happiness one can find from traveling and fresh starts. The ache felt from missing what they knew from birth, and the love they’ve found in their new Rocky Mountain home, are palpable. Musically, the track allows Bills’ dexterous mandolin work to shine alongside the band’s impressive vocal harmonies.

2.”Can’t You Hear That Train”

In the bluegrass world, you can’t go wrong singing a song or two about trains. The peals and wails of Flynn’s dobro evoke the whistles of the subject matter and match well with the frenetic pace set by Bills’ mandolin. The crescendo of the instrumental breakdown is a strong statement about the quality of the musicianship in Magoo as a whole.

3.”Rippen Richard”

The instrumental “Rippen Richard” is a beast all its own. The way the instruments chase each other for most of the tune does a great job of showcasing the individual talents of the quartet and their willingness to trust each other enough to disassemble and rejoin at will.

4.”Big Fall”

Artists like Leftover Salmon, Peter Rowan, and Sam Bush have had great success adding aspects of Caribbean Isles flavor to their brand of bluegrass/Americana, and Magoo does the same on “Big Fall”. A clear, upbeat love song unfolds among the island vibes Magoo imports to its mountain roots. The breakdown vamp in the latter half of the track approaches sonic nirvana.

5.”Clarity”

The opening line of “Clarity” (“You’re saying all these things I want to hear”) is an incisive way to disable the false arguments surrounding us these days. The rise and close of the tune, in conjunction with the pleading nature of the lyrics, convey the strain and confusion in both relationships and the political landscape. “Clarity” is an example of Magoo’s songwriting at its finest, deft and broad while never forgetting its boot scootin’ purpose.

6.”Riding Trains”

“Riding Trains” features What A Life‘s greatest break from reality, with the clearest bit of psychedelia on the disc. Live, Magoo has no problem stretching out at will, but on What A Life, the group favors restraint from their improvisational excursions. Songs like these need to have a beginning from which to evolve.

7.”Angel Of Telluride” (ft. Sam Bush)

New Grass Revival multi-instrumentalist Sam Bush lends his fiddle to the mix and illustrates one thing in Magoo’s sound that could possibly be addressed in the future. The way Bush’s high string work soars above the rest of the strings works so well it wouldn’t be all that surprising if the band found cause to add a full-time fiddler somewhere down the line.

08.”The Road”

Following a bold and bodacious opening, the stark dobro and guitar work of Flynn and Hill make “The Road” a menacing journey. When the pace accelerates to the disc’s fastest, the wails escalate, creating a creepy sense of danger and terror that are equally unsettling and unrelenting, giving “The Road” its own identity.

09.”What A Life”

The title track, “What A Life”, is a worldly and wise beyond its years commentary on life that you might expect on a band’s later releases. Instead, it highlights the unfolding pleasure Magoo finds in its early success as a unit. The members’ appreciation of the reception they’ve found so far and the potential in their collective future is as clear to them as it is to their fans, old and new alike.

10.”This Road’s Been Good To Me”

In case anyone had missed the message of the title track, Magoo says it plain and loud on album-closer “This Road’s Been Good To Me”. Dylan, Erik, Courtlyn, and Denton are happy, thankful, and want to be here as long as the world will have them.

What A Life is an impressive achievement on a variety of levels. As an opening musical statement, it is a powerful, concise showcase of Magoo’s skills and potential. As a milemarker in the long and winding road of bluegrass, it serves well as a humble thanks to what has gone before and a solid bid to take the art form forward. As a simple collection of songs, it’s a varied, pleasurable experience that begs repeated listening.

With a crowded spring and summer of festival shows and many headlining and supporting club gigs yet to be added, Magoo, armed with material of this caliber, is sure to make a lot of new fans this year. The band’s blend of spectacular harmonies, intricate instrumental interplay, and relentless roadwork is a proven formula for building a large, lasting fan base. What A Life is surely just the first studio step in what is bound to be a long journey. Fans of bluegrass past and present are lucky to be here to witness the fun from the beginning.

Don’t miss Magoo when they come to your area; get in while the venues are small and the ticket prices are low. Check out a detailed list of 2026 Magoo tour dates and head here for tickets.

Stream What A Life via the player below or on your preferred streaming platform. The band is also selling vinyl copies in multiple variants, or you can buy it digitally on Bandcamp.

Magoo — What A Life

Magoo 2026 Tour Dates

02.27 – 03.01 Steamboat Springs, CO • WinterWonderGrass

03.12 Bellingham, WA • Wild Buffalo

03.13 Seattle, WA • Sunset Tavern

03.14 Newberg, OR • Newgrass Festival

03.17 Arcata, CA • Humboldt Brews

03.18 Chico, CA • Lost on Main

03.19 Crystal Bay, NV • Crystal Bay Club Casino

03.20 Nevada City, CA • Crazy Horse Saloon

03.21 Nevada City, CA • Crazy Horse Saloon

03.22 Folsom, CA • Folsom Saloon

03.25 Felton, CA • Felton Music Hall

03.26 Berkeley, CA • Cornerstone

03.27 Los Angeles, CA • The Mint

03.28 San Diego, CA • Winstons Beach Club

03.29 Phoenix, AZ • Last Exit Live

04.03 Fort Collins, CO • Aggie Theater

04.04 Denver, CO • Bluebird Theater – SOLD OUT

04.17-19 Driftwood, TX • Old Settler’s Music Festival

04.23-25 Baja California, Mexico • BajaWonderGrass

04.30 New Orleans, LA • Chickie Wah Wah (Late Show)

05.02 Brevard, NC • Oskar Blues Spring Shakedown

05.07-05.10 Pittsboro, NC • Shakori Hills Festival

05.16 Catonsville, MD • Music City Bluegrass & Roots Festival

05.17 Aztec, NM • Tico Time Bluegrass Festival”

05.21 Martinsville, VA • Rooster Walk

05.22 Cumberland, MD • Delfest

05.29 Golden, CO • Goldengrass

06.05-06.07 Palisade, CO • Palisade Bluegrass & Roots Festival

06.19-06.21 Swanzy, NH • Northlands Music & Arts Festival

06.25 Rothbury, MI • Electric Forest

06.26 Ownsboro, KY • ROMP Music Festival

06.27 Eau Claire, WI • Blue Ox Music Festival

07.02-07.05 Grass Valley, CO • High Sierra Music Festival

07.16 – 18 Snowshoe, WV • 4848 Festival

07.30-08.02 Del Norte, CO • Rhythms On The Rio Music Festival

08.07 Alta, WY • Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival

08.09 Darrington, WA • Re/Evolution: SummerJam

08.13-08.16 Jensen, UT • RiverWonderGrass (SOLD OUT)

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