"If It Ain't Here When I Get Back," released in March 2013 on Molsky's own Tree Frog Music imprint (TF 1301), is a deliberate solo showcase — Molsky performing fiddle, five-string banjo, and guitar unaccompanied, recorded and mixed by Jim Robeson at Bias Studios. The stripped-down format is a statement in itself: a musician demonstrating mastery without collaborative cushion or studio sheen. Reviewers highlighted the deceptive simplicity of a banjo reading of "Shady Grove" and the reach of "Wreck of the Dandenong" — an Australian shipwreck ballad signaling Molsky's interest in the broader Anglo-Celtic tradition beyond purely Appalachian material. The album functions as an anti-production statement from an artist who had spent years in collaborative and produced settings.
Tracklist
- 1 Wreck of the Dandenong 4:37
- 2 Bimini Gal 3:12
- 3 Rattle Down the Acorns 2:08
- 4 New Cut Road 2:37
- 5 Johnny Booger 2:51
- 6 Kentucky Blues 3:16
- 7 Bonaparte's Retreat/Piney Ridge 2:55
- 8 Piney Mountains alt version 3:10
- 9 Paddy Sean Nancy's Favorite/the Graf Spee 3:56
- 10 The Cowboy 3:26
- 11 Sally Ann alt version 3:01
- 12 Growling Old Man and Grumbling Old Woman 2:35
- 13 Shady Grove alt version 2:59
- 14 Last of Callahan 2:23
- 15 Cumberland Gap Source Recording 3:06
