The Good Time Travelers: Cutting Edge Songs In The Key of Truth

It's not too often you hear two musicians who sound like three, but one reviewer called The Good Time Travelers "the vibe of a two-piece power trio" and "a sound rooted in folk and Bluegrass, but a sentiment that's pure rock-and-roll."

The two-man team of singer-songwriters Michael Kirkpatrick and Pete Kartsounes performed their first gig in 2014 with Del and Dog. In the meantime they've released their debut self-titled album as well as several solo albums, a process that Kirkpatrick says "lets us push the envelope of our craft."

Apparently critics have a good time writing about the Travelers, because there's certainly no shortage of superlatives in their press clippings. They've described Kirkpatrick's voice as "deep, earnest, swoony, and powerful" and "a rich baritone that defines his theatrical presentation." Another adds "imagine a Cat Stevens/David Bowie hybrid."

Other music writers call Kartsounes "a cutting-edge musician's musician, fulfilling a vision of writing music in the key of truth."

Collaboration is another big part of Kirkpatrick's and Kartsounes' tool kit. The former plays with a folkadelic rock band called The Holler! as well as Blue Canyon Ritual and Littlest Birds. Kartounes has recorded and performed with Pearl Jam, Blues Traveler, Jerry Garcia Band, String Cheese Incident, the Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, and others.

Kirkpatrick has racked up a wall full of awards in the process: Best Male Singer-Songwriter from the Fort Collins Musicians association four years in a row, as well as being chosen as Telluride Troubadour. His 2013 album "Key to My Cage" won Best Colorado Folk Singer-Songwriter Album by the Colorado Sound Fan Poll, and 2015's "Honey Rider" was one of Colorado Sound's top albums. This year The Holler! will release "Wildwood" and Kirkpatrick will release his third solo album "Little Muse."

But another reviewer perhaps summed up the allure of Good Time Travelers best: "The band thrives in the energy of a crowd. Any show of theirs is most definitely a 'good time.'"