The Raygun Cowboys - Self Titled

Artist: Raygun Cowboys

Album: Raygun Cowboys

Label: Stumble Records

Upon hearing the first three tracks on the Raygun Cowboys' self titled album, my first thought was "psychobilly with ska-inspired trumpets and trombones?!"  I know I'm delving head first into this review, but the first three tracks of this Edmonton, Alberta quintet's debut boast some of the freshest interpretations of the genre I've encountered in years.  The first track, "Asbestos Rock" eases the listener into this mashup by omitting vocals, allowing the instruments time to introduce themselves.  Oakland Valleau's furiously paced slapping of his upright bass brings initial comparisons to psychobilly greats like Gorilla or 80's era The Krewmen.  Meanwhile, the track introduces the horn section through several short bursts, eventually leading into a full on trumpet and trombone duet.  The second track, "Devil on My Mind," continues Valleau's frantic pace, continuing making full use of the horn section, but introduces Jon Christopherson's, slightly echoey, rockabilly vocals.  It's hard to imagine a more natural execution.  The third track, "Dead End Girl," adds a little country into the mix, with the guitaring forcing initial comparisons to creepy country crooners The Coffinshakers. 

Sadly, the next six tracks depart from originality and dive right into a slew of well executed but fairly unoriginal rockabilly tunes.  To the band's credit though, the forth track, "Devil Son," successfully transitions between the styles, making the switch into mediocre rockabilly tunes including "Light Me Up," "Come Back to Me," and the intensionally sloppy drinking anthem, "For the Whiskey," almost tollerable.  There are a few bright moments though, including "Light Me Up" and "Come Back to Me's," respectively, fine rockabilly and country inspired guitar solo's.

Thankfully, by the tenth track, "Dead King's Rise," the Raygun Cowboys return to form.  The track, although still without a horn section, offers grand punk inspired choruses with sweeping "woahs."  The final track, "Attack of the 50's," concludes the album using exactly what made the first three tracks so successful - the thick slapping of the double bass, the brass section's short horn bursts, and the speedy toe-tapping melody, all make a welcome return for a final farewell. 

Raygun Cowboys' offer a great full length debut that should excite anyone who enjoys psychobilly or rockabilly.  And while the moments of brilliance are often offset by stretches of mediocrity, when the Cowboys are on their game they offer some of the best tunes in the genre today.

Dead To Me - Little Brother

Artist: Dead To Me

Album: Little Brother

Label: Fat Wreck Chords

Since the late 90's, "pop-punk" has taken on more than one meaning.  On the one hand, there's the simple riffs and minimalist style that defines Ramones style pop-punk, kept alive today by bands like The Copyrights and The Methadones.  But on the other hand, there's the punk that started in the mid 90's defined by New Found Glory whinny styled vocals, later evolving into today's Falloutboy and Panic At the Disco.  Generally speaking, fans of the Falloutboys find minimalist punk "too boring," while fans of minimalist punk find the legions of Falloutboys "too poppy."  Occasionally a band comes along that meshes both styles together and finds acceptance in both traditionally opposed camps.  San Francisco's Dead To Me is one of those bands.  

I can best describe Dead To Me as a pop-punk band that keeps its riffs simple, adds a few flourishes from song to song, and remains memorable thanks to Jack Dalrymple's slurred but understandable vocals.  Their latest release, the five song EP Little Brother, follows their favourably received 2006 debut.  The first two songs clock in under two and a half minutes, delving into the meat of the tracks without as much as an introduction.  While both claim the title of the simplest songs on the album, they are uncharacteristically lackluster.  Both songs blend together, sharing an identical tempo and song structure, making them almost indistinguishable from one another.  Sometimes I even forgot where one started and the other ended - an issue I never ran into in their 2006 debut, Cuban Ballerina.  Fortunately, the third song introduces a much needed sense of diversity, as well as a few new tricks.  The title track, Little Brother, starts with an uncharacteristically slow tempo and eventually introduces a catchy ska-inspired upstroke that feels right at home in Dead To Me's upbeat sound.  Thanks to catchier choruses and hooks, the final two songs feel more memorable than the first couple, allowing the short 14 minute EP to end on a high note.

Despite a less than memorable start, Dead to Me's followup effort shows a band staying true to the unique style that makes them appreciable by fans of various schools of pop-punk.  Little Brother also shows also a band not afraid to experiment with that same winning formula.  Rejoice pop-punk fans, this one's a keeper.   

The Matadors - Sweet Revenge

Artist: The Matadors

Album: Sweet Revenge

Label: Stumble Records

Self proclaimed masters of "Hellbilly" The Matadors have seen a lot of drama since their last album.  Their bassist deserted them in the midst of recording, they were ripped off by former members, had shows unexpectedly canned, and were the victims of unsubstantiated rumors announcing the band's demise.  I can only imagine the fact that the fact that I'm holding The Matadors' new disc, Sweet Revenge, in my hands right now makes frontman "Hooch" quite pleased.  But simply releasing the disc is only a small part of any band's goal, so upon opening the case my real question became whether these setbacks took their toll on Hooch's musicianship.

In many ways, after the first listen I found Sweet Revenge to be a step backwards for the band - not in musicianship, but in the band's own chronology.  2005's Hellbilly 9000, an album with lyrical content heavily influenced by modern psychobilly trends, lathered on excessive polish and production value, including no shortage of B-movie sound-bites and spoken word sections.  "Sweet Revenge" draws most of its inspiration from the band's lesser known albums, "Hellblazin'" and "The Devil's Music," released between 2000 and 2002 respectively.  While a toe-tapping  neorockabilly core has always defined The Matadors, much like the older albums, Sweet Revenge draws heavily on country as a supplementary influence.  The first track, "That's How She Died," actually starts off with a 40 second western inspired acoustic intro before starting up the rest of the band.  Even then, half way through the song Hooch fires up the old banjo for a fierce solo, in effect clearly defining the album's direction.  

Lyrically, Sweet Revenge also aligns itself with Hooch's earlier efforts.  Unlike Horrorbilly 9000's fantastical songs about undead armies of zombie sluts, The Matadors return to their Luciferian tradition of endorsing earthly sins like alcohol abuse and random sexual encounters.  Songs like "Drunk and Drivin'" explore the thrill of racing down a dark highway while under the influence, and "Faith in Booze" endorses alcohol as the solution to all of life's problems.  Other songs, like "The Devil Taught Me How," detail The Matadors' backstory, explaining how the band members sold their souls to the devil in exchange for fame, fortune, and demonically guided musicianship.  Although on paper such themes may seem crude, The Matadors always maintain a very "fun," party-like feel to their songs.

So much could have gone wrong with this release.  As mentioned in the lyric booklet, all songs were recorded in 2007 and 2008, a period that, according to Hooch, "SHOULD have taken WAY less time;" and in the wake of losing their bassist the booklet even credits four bass players, including Hooch himself.  Sweet Revenge could have been a scattered mess, but thankfully the album's seamless combination of the band's various influences produces their most fully realized album to date.  As cliche as I may sound, by overcoming the drama surrounding the past few years I think it's safe to say that Hooch has earned his Sweet Revenge.

The Hyperjax - The Wildest Card

Artist: The Hyperjax

Album: The Wildest Card

Label: Cherry Bomb Recordings

The first thought that crossed my mind when I heard The Hyperjax was "my, these vocals are different."  I wasn't really sure what to think.  Imagine a psychobilly band fronted by Millencolin's frontman Nikola Sarcevic and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect - over-pronounced words with a slightly goofy overtone.  Lead vocalist Sam Woods almost sounds like that goofy voice from The Offspring's classic opener "Disclaimer," or in a more reasonable comparison, a less sloppy version of Frank Cassila of the Voodoo Glow Skulls.  In any case, his vocals are an acquired taste that will either attract or repulse most listeners - there's really no middle ground here.

Those that look past the "unconventional" vocals will find a fairly diverse range of punkabilly tunes in The Hyperjax latest album, The Wildest Card.  The album starts off with a few really infectious toe tappers including the title track, "Madam Butterfly," and "No Expectations," all defined by a speedy upright double bass and some well placed guitar solos.  But six songs in comes the album's real gem, "Beggar's Belief."  Instrumentally there's room for comparison to the late Gutter Demons.  The upright double bass echos hypnotically, and the guitar riffs quiver with a haunting amount of distortion.  Its a great sound that many strive for, but that few psychobilly bands achieve.  After this high point the album retains interest by shifting between genre-related styles.  "Main Spirit Weind" offers a pseudo-acoustic vibe, while "Talkin' New York City" provides an uplifting rockabilly toe-tapper.  Others like "So I Hold On" and "Henry Chinaski" provide a welcome dose of old-school rock'n roll rhythms.  The final two tracks return The Hyperjax to their punkabilly core, reminding the listener of exactly where these boys' musical loyalties rest.  

The band matches Sam Woods' goofy voice with some fairly comical lyrics.  For example, beggar's belief includes a story about a homeless man who has "never done a full days work 'cause he's an anarchist/complains about the government but reaps its benefits."  Unfortunately, Woods' wacky voice renders many parts of songs partially indecipherable - a disappointing reality since The Hyperjax steer clear of cliched psychobilly content.

If you can get past the odd vocals there's a lot to like here.  Fun lyrics, bouncy beats, and a nice survey of related genres should give The Wildest Card a lot of re-playability.

No Torso - Ready Already

Artist: No Torso

Album: Ready Already

Label: Asian Man Records

Despite existing in Europe for the past six years, the No Torso's distinctive ska beats did not formally reached the North American shores until 2006.  I have to admit, I fall into that category of people unfamiliar with No Torso and am just finding introduction to the group with their six song 2008 Ready Already EP.  Truthfully I'm appalled at my lack of familiarity because No Torso might just be one of the only ska bands to genuinely advance the stagnant genre past 90's third wave nostalgia.  Critics applauded Big D and the Kids Table's Strictly Rude album as the most important ska album of the decade - but I didn't really buy into that, it simply drew too heavily on past influences instead of looking ahead.  On the other hand, No Torso have crafted a sound that subtly draws upon almost every ska influence imaginable, while sounding incredibly fresh and relevant to todays music.  

They accomplish this by having a lead vocalist, Lars Oskarssen, with an incredibly smooth voice, and a slight but evident "indie" orientation that produces a very soulful flow to most tracks - quite a mouthful for something that feels so natural.  The band also consists of a massive eight members, including a sizable and incredibly tight brass section.  Thankfully nothing is overused since the band draws upon trumpets, horns and their jazzy sax for specific purposes.  Instrumentally, many track intros, with their short and bouncy trumpet blows, draw initial comparisons to bands like Boston's Mighty Mighty Bosstones.  But while they retain the Bosstones' "big" feel, the tracks subtly morph into their own entities.  For example, after a very reggae inspired introduction, a portion of "You Tell Me's" chorus actually had me making comparisons to New York Punk Cabaret The World/Inferno Friendship Society.  Meanwhile, other tracks like "Oh Brother" take on a "swing" inspired feel.  To say the least, finding this many influences in six tracks is a rarity.  

Lyrically, No Torso preaches an incredibly sunny outlook on life not uncommon to ska groups.  Even tracks about loss an disapointment, like "Suffering in Stereo," emit a sense of optimism. Thankfully though, the soundscape overshadows the lyrics, allowing for overlooking their cliched nature.

In six songs and 17 minutes No Torso demonstrates a refreshing interpretation of ska.  Their sparing use of their immense horn section and integration of various influences make them accessible to practically anyone.  Because of such wide appeal, I anticipate finding Ready Already on various year end lists.

Tim Barry - Manchester

Artist: Tim Barry

Album: Manchester

Label: Suburban Home

Tim Barry, lead singer of punk band Avail for 20 year, basically started the current "punk singer gone country/folk solo star" trend back in 2005 - a full two years before Chuck "Ragan mania" hit.  Thus, in previous releases Barry's influences were purely his own.  He defined his solo persona mostly through classic country influences like Johnny Cash and Weylon Jennings.  The problem was that he just wasn't that great - his songs were bland and boring.  But this is his first release since Ragan mania hit, and Barry seems to be listening to the current trends (trends that aren't recent at all in the grand scheme of things).  Most of the time I'd criticize such blatant copycatism, but in this case Barry has deepened his foundation and expanded his sound, making his new album, Manchester, more than worth a repeat listen.

While Manchester retains some purely country inspired tracks like "Stagcity Gone" and "Tile Gone," he only keeps the most uplifting, toe-tapping country material - the highlight of his previous releases.  The majority of his new tracks incorporate a subtle musical arsenal, not unlike labelmates Two Cow Garage.  Soft backing piano keys, and long, strung out violin strokes echo throughout tracks like "222," and bouncy, banjo led folk narratives like "South Hill" quickly become favourites.  In many ways, Barry's new tracks may as well have been composed by Ragan himself.  Thankfully lyrics become a key difference that distance Barry from the over mentioned Chuck Ragan.  

Barry's lyrics have a very "contemporary" approach.  Similarly to Tom Morello's folk project, "The Nightwatchman," Barry sings about current social and political issues without much subtlety.  For example, in the previously mentioned "South Hill," Barry takes a stab at the US military's recruiting practices, and follows it up with a first person perspective of one soldier's experience in Iraq that leaves him paralyzed from the waist down.  Several other tracks, like Tacoma, deal with personal betrayal and disappointment, and others deal with wandering soul searchers.  While songs protesting Iraq and about lone cowboys may tread dangerously close to cliche territory, Barry's voice carries a sense of sincerity that keeps the songs appreciable.  

Overall, Tim Barry gives us his best effort yet, and despite really only finding his voice after borrowing from his peers, there's a lot to like in Manchester, and certainly enough to recommend to fans of Barry and the genre.

Tom Gabel - Heart Burns

Artist: Tom Gabel

Album: Heart Burns

Label: Sire/Warner

Since Against Me! skyrocketed to mainstream fame a short year ago, their success and current sound has become the stuff of heated underground debate.  Did they sell their souls?  Are they still a "folk-punk" band?  Are they hypocrites?  And the list of accusations and questions goes on.  Generally the band did a good job of ignoring criticism (with the exception of a few explosive comments).  But with the release of lead vocalist Tom Gabel's solo debut a year later, I can't help but think those comments may have stung Gabel more than initially let on.

Throughout Heart Burns Tom Gabel arguably tries to acquaint new fans with his band's legacy, and reacquaint skeptical old fans with his new self.  While Butch Vig (Nirvana, Against Me!) retains his controversial position as executive producer (layering on excessive coats of polish), Heart Burns takes Gabel back to to a simpler time.  When it comes right down to it, most tracks consist of a guitar (acoustic or otherwise), Gabel's signature vocals, and a drum machine.  Basically, imagine if Butch Vig produced Against Me!'s crown gem, 2003's As the Eternal Cowboy.

For the first time in a while Gabel picks up his trusty acoustic guitar.  "Harsh Realms" finds Gabel in his loneliest track, crying "don't abandon me" while coping with day to day demands of the modern world.  Meanwhile, the grand acoustic choruses of "100 Years of War" perfectly capture the essence of Against Me!'s past social minded punk anthems.  Reassuringly, Gabel's signature disjointed lyrical structure resurfaces in "Conceptual Paths," squeezing the most out of his melodies.   Here he crams phrases like "Conceptual paths wide open, I'm Scared to Death/Existential weight no longer holds you back" into brief choral moments.  When Gabel picks up his electric guitar he plays a minimalist acoustic style. For example, in "Cowards Sing at Night" he entirely ditches the drum machine, and in "Amputations," a more rock influenced track with an explosive chorus and a cameo from Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba, the lack of bass prevents the song from sounding too "grand."

In "Anna is a Stool Pigeon," no doubt the album's intended centerpiece, Gabel's old friend Chuck Ragan (of recent solo fame) makes a brief appearance, reminding fans that Gabel hasn't forgotten about his old friends. The song, a catchy four minute tale about a poitical activist mistakenly "falling in love with an FBI informant," expands Gabel's sound thanks to Ragan's harmonica, which has become senonomous with folk music in recent years. Unfortunately though, the song's high caliber serves more as a reminder of how great Gabel is with a full band, ultimately detracting from the rest of the album.  But generally, I found it quite refreshing listening to Gabel rediscover his folk roots.

However, I cannot conclude this review without discussing the album's opening track, and most out of place song, Heart Burns.  While it's a damn catchy tune, the steadfast guitaring and overpowering echo distortion feel like something from Matt Skiba's side project, Heavens - not necessarily a bad thing, but very confusing as an opener to a folk-dominated album.  Thankfully though, the digital version of the album comes with an acoustic version of the song - which I recommend replacing the official version with on your music player.

Overall Heart Burns provides an interesting 7 song survey of Tom Gabel's past and current career, and makes me quite curious about his approach with Against Me!'s next album.   

Sarah Blackwood - Way Back Home

Artist: Sarah Blackwood

Album: Way Back Home

Label: Stomp Records

Before Sarah Blackwood (aka "Sarah Sin") replaced her sister as the lead vocalist of breakout psychobilly band The Creepshow a little over a year and a half ago, no one knew who she was, and I doubt anyone would have signed her has a solo artist.  However, upon joining The Creepshow she inherited her sister's spotlight.  Subsequently, when the folks over at Stomp Records signed The Creepshow for their second album, Blackwood was able to sell herself to talent scouts as a competent, or at least profitable, solo artist.  The result?  Sarah Blackwood launched her first solo record, "Way Back Home," just two months after her studio debut with The Creepshow.

For the most part, Blackwood proves a competent singer/songwriter, and at the very least has a very strong voice.  Generally her vocals lean toward the more polished side of her Sarah Sin persona, reminiscent of The Creepshow's lone acoustic track, "The Garden," as opposed to the "smokey" vocals she's typically known for.  Although established fans may need to reacquaint themselves, her voice makes her quite approachable for a country or folk audience.

Stylistically her acoustic set bounces between straight-up country, a dash of soul, and of course the rockabilly roots inherent in her psychobilly background.  The album starts with "Lonely Parade," a quick paced, country/rockabilly influenced opener with fairly dark lyrics detailing "demon's intensions" and hopeless situations.  Usually an album's first track sets the record's tone, hinting at tracks to come, so I could see "Lonely Parade" raising a fan of The Creepshow's  hopes.  However, the second track, "Dyin' Day," suddenly launches into a purely country influenced based love ballad, completely changing the mood.  Then the third track shifts back to the dark opener, followed with the next track leaning back to the sunny country sound that defined the second track.  The trend continues, creating it's most out of place moment with "Bad job Jesus," a toe tapping blues influenced country tune about a "devil girl" who wakes up in a bed next to a "dead boy."  Because Blackwood continuously bounces back and forth between these two radically different approaches, the album never truly defines itself.  

Looking at the cover art, a picture of a smiling and very tattooed Sarah Blackwood in front of a quaint little country home, I suspect Blackwood may have been trying to reveal her many sides and musical influences.  But it just doesn't work as a single piece.  Her two sides are simply too different, making the album variation read more more like an identity crisis than an artistic statement.

Had Sarah Blackwood spent more time with The Creepshow before debuting her solo career she might have had a better idea of how to define herself.  As it stands, I have a hard time understanding who the album is geared towards.  The album has some undeniably great tracks, but I found it hard to appreciate them amidst the confusion.  Here's the bottom line: although Sarah Blackwood has an astounding vocal capacity, her solo career is premature.

One day I'm going to write an editorial about the sudden overload of lead punk vocalists putting out folk influenced solo albums. Until then, I have this review.

Chuck Ragan / The Loved Ones - Give and Take 7" Split

Artist: Chuck Ragan & The Loved Ones

Album: Give and Take 7" Split

Label: Ten Four Records

Chuck Ragan and The Loved Ones are a couple of the most celebrated artists in the punk community today.  Thus I've been slightly confused by the lack of attention this small but impressive split hasn't been getting.  At first I thought "well maybe it just isn't that good."  Sometimes great artists try covering each other and just don't "get" each other.  In this case each band even has the challenge of matching each other's style - Chuck Ragan with his stripped down acoustic folk tunes and The Loved Ones with their traditional, "Springsteen" inspired brand of punk rock.  However, in the "Give and Take" 7" Split each band demonstrates that they not only love each others work, but that they know what makes each other tick.

Chuck Ragan opts to cover one of The Loved Ones newest tracks, "Pretty Good Year," the opener  from 2008's "Build and Burn."  I've always found the measure of a great cover song is when the artist can respect the original source material while making it their own - if I'm constantly reminded about the original song I might as well simply listen to the real track.  Not surprisingly, by stripping the song down to its simplest form, and considerably slowing the tempo, Ragan has reinvented the song's focus.  The song starts with a slow, thoughtful introduction, establishing a sense of desperation originally absent in The Loved Ones' quicker tempo, but clearly present in the lyrics.  From there Ragan speeds things up and layers on the instruments, adding tambourines, supporting guitars, backing vocals (including some female vocals) - building a climax with each chorus - all guided by the raw emotion ever present in Ragan's voice.

With the pedestal the punk community holds Ragan on, The Loved Ones probably had the more challenging task.  In this case the band has had to completely re-envision one of Ragan's prized gems, "For Broken Ears."  "Filling out" an acoustic track always tests a bands understanding of the source.  Recently, many artists on the punk flavoured All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash tribute missed the mark.  For example, the Bouncing Souls cover of "Man in Black" simply added too much of their own sound without retaining what made the song  a classic.  Fortunately The Loved Ones "get" Ragan, and while they stick pretty close to Ragan's version, they add some interesting flourishes; most notably, the quiet and sparing use of an organ in the background.  During instrumental sections the band employs lone horn solos, capturing Ragan's solo essence amidst a full punkrock backdrop.  Unfortunately, after a tight introduction reminiscent of the vocals in the band's song "I Swear," lead vocalist Dave Hause loosens up during the chorus, making the vocals slightly self indulgent and the chorus the weakest part of the song.

Personally, I love this split.  Chuck Ragan does a great job of "Taking" away the layers of punk from "Pretty Good Year" and redefining it as a modern folk classic, and The Loved Ones produce admirable results when "Giving" a fuller sound to Ragan's classic.  The Give and Take 7" is a successful experiment that will find its highest appreciation in the libraries of  fans of both artists, but that can ultimately find appreciation outside that niche.

Milloy - Creating Problems While Practicing Solutions

Artist: Milloy

Album: Creating Problems While Practicing Solutions

Label: Household Name Records

Over at Household Name Records, Milloy's label introduces the band as playing "loud, impassioned catchy punk/rock songs that burn with a melodic ferocity rarely heard on this side of the Atlantic since LEATHERFACE and SNUFF surfaced in the late 80's."  I must admit, I agree - it is pretty uncommon to hear this style of punk rock over in the UK.  But what this convoluted description really means is that Milloy sounds more like an American punk band than anything out of the UK in the past thirty years.  In a gross generalization, I'd say that the UK punk scene seems to have been giving rise to great modern streetpunk bands like Frontkick and Born to Lose, or continuing the fine tradition of Oi! with bands like The Business.  Bands like Leatherface, and now Milloy, just don't seem to fit that mould.  Milloy's latest outing sounds like the first in time in the band's 9 year career where they've had access to truly cutting edge recording and mastering equipment.  That in itself reveals just how much work a quality band of this style needs to put in to get some recognition in the UK.

The reference to Leatherface is a particularly accurate, and convenient, for describing Milloy's sound.  Imagine only the fastest, most intense Leatherface songs, throw on a coat of modern polish, and you'll know what you're in for.  Creating Problems While Practicing Solutions is a difficult type of album to review simply because there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.  The songs are tight, the choruses catchy, it isn't overly poppy despite the melodic core, and the slight wakefield accent results in vocal delivery just different enough to separate Milloy from their american counterparts.  But at the same time, its hard to boast about the songs individually since most of the tracks tend to blend together.  However, Milloy's second full length record is anything but boring, and the band keeps the album down to that magic half hour mark, making such a criticism hard to hold considering the quality of the product.  The lyrics also overshadow such a criticism because of the band's obvious social conscious, making for some deep, and not always entirely obvious, social critiques.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that despite fully acknowledging the album's limitations, I kept coming back for more, and I predict any fan of Leatherface or modern american punk rock will too.

Ghoultown - Life After Sundown

Artist: Ghoultown

Album: Life After Sundown

Label: Zoviet Records

So one recent morning I fire up emusic to see what the new release section should bring me.  To my astonishment, a new Ghoultown album revealed itself.  The very same day my (very delayed) copy of Dillinger Four's six year in the making C I V I L W A R arrived in the mail.  So I was torn, two potentially great albums, both by bands I'm more than fanatical about - which one would take priority?  Well, since this review is for Ghoultown, it's pretty obvious which contestant received more immediate attention.

I have to admit, Ghoultown's previous release, Bury Them Deep,  more or less introduced me to the "dead west" "hellbilly" genre.  Subsequently, I had already assumed that nothing could top that 8 track masterpiece in my very biased mind.  These unrealistic expectations made me very weary about firing up Ghoultown's new album, Life After Sundown.  Could it possibly impress me as much as the CD that turned me onto the genre?  I reluctantly clicked the play button on my ipod and gave the album its premier listen.  

To my dismay, the first seven tracks sounded very familiar - a Bury them Deep redux if you will.  The album opens with an instrumental, trumpet led track, and immediately leads into some very solid country infused rock, complete with bone-crunching guitar solos and chilling vocals.  But I found that tracks like "Werewolves on Wheels" and "Dead Outlaw" sound a tad too close to classics off of "Burry them Deep" like "Tekilla" and "Mexican Moonshine."  Other tracks, like "Spit on Your Grave," with rich acoustic sections are highly reminiscent of classics like "Blood on my Hands."  At this point I was ready to simply say "a fine but predictable addition to Ghoultown's catalogue."  But then I reached track 8, a magnificent six minute narrative that takes Ghoultown's western tales to new highs.  "Drinking with the Living Dead" masterfully tells the story of a old westerner who by chance finds himself in a drink off with Statin Creed, a lost soul doomed to walk the earth challenging saloon goers to buy him eternal rest should one defeat him.  While in retrospect my description may sound goofy, Ghoultown's execution of the material makes the situation feel very real, serious, and of urgent attention (I was on the edge of my seat).  Furthermore, during the same track the band sparingly debuts an excellent use of the fiddle, which somehow feels like a more than natural fit for the band.  After this track the band continues moving beyond conventions by integrating metal guitar solos, mexican inspired melodies, and ending the album with an interesting use of bongos.

I started this review by making a comparison with C I V I L W A R.  I'm going to end this review by saying that Ghoultown have done in under two years what Dillinger Four couldn't do even after six years - they've expanded their already genre challenging sound while retaining exactly what we've come to love about them.

Two Cow Garage - Speaking in Cursive

Artist: Two Cow Garage

Album: Speaking in Cursive

Label: Suburban Home

When Two Cow Garage sings "Now I'm 25 years old, no money, no plan, no street of gold;  It was arrogant to think from the start, that we were the only back yard Dylan with a folk singer's heart; And now that the romance is dead, I've still got these songs playing in my head,"on the track  "Folksinger's Heart," it becomes abundantly clear that upon entering their forth studio album the band has accepted their lack of popularity despite their passion and sincerity as song writers.  Thankfully, such a realization hasn't soured the band.  In fact, based on Speaking in Cursive, this reality has freed them to create the songs they love without fear of the critics - since critics never seem to notice them anyway.  

Two Cow Garage follow the oft-neglected "cow-punk" brand of alternative rock.  Not quite straight up country, and far from simple street punk, the genre combines a western twang with a punk soul for some of the most refreshing tunes in recent memory.  Like genre leaders Lucero, Two Cow Garage boasts raspy, whiskey soaked vocals, and simple country inspired guitaring.  Unlike the band's previous releases, Speaking in Cursive boasts a "bigger" feel because more tracks than ever use Two Cow Garage's full musical arsenal.  While many band reaching out for a fuller sound often radically alter their sound, Two Cow Garage confidently incorporate new sounds to their formula.  Most notably, grand country style piano solos and backdrops can be heard throughout the album.

Lyrically, the band has always brought a sophisticated and self aware approach to songwriting.  I won't delve too deep into lyrical analysis, but songs like "Playground Princess" find unique ways to approach tales of personal development with powerful and insightful one liners, like "but in the end punk rock just left me empty and alone," and "Jesus is just another word for nothing left to lose.'"  Many songs edge close to feeling depressing, but thanks to an upbeat musical framework most tracks have a elements of optimism.  

Speaking in Cursive's bigger feel makes the album a perfect place for newcomers to jump in.  Meanwhile, established fans will find a few new tricks amidst the same great content they've come to expect.  Here's to hoping that Speaking in Cursive gets these "backyard Dylans" a little more recognition.