The long-awaited new album from Bing Futch is a head-spinning fusion of musical styles that provide the soundtrack to a timeless story of duality.  Good and evil, joy and sorrow, truth and lies, living and dying all figure into the mix as Bing once again takes the mountain dulcimer into unexplored territory.

Considered a sequel to Dive! from 2013, The Beauty and the Terror kicks off with the upbeat pop/rock anthem "Undertow" and winds its way through celebrations of life ("Livin' The Dream"), spirit ("Angels of Mercy") and perseverance ("The Rest of the Way") before storm clouds gather and the mood begins to darken.

Soon, turmoil bubbles to the surface as heartbreak ("Love Was Coming Through"), protest ("The Question") and disease ("I Got Tha Virus") swirl into frame.  The divisions between one another, and within ourselves, are on full display as Bing guides the album back in a positive direction with songs of hope ("Just Like You"), resilience ("2 Strong 4 This") and, ultimately, love ("Baby, I Believe.")

During the 1-hour trip, Bing slips quickly from one genre to the next with straight-up country, Americana, blues, rock, gospel, reggae and Broadway-flavored pop, each side-journey infused with a unique sound and perspective.