Wes Tucker and his band cover familiar enough Americana turf, but with plenty of gusto and energy to warrant further listens. The songs are solid and there is just enough variety between the heartland alt-country sound, gutsy rockers, and even a cool Isaac Hayes guitar led number to give discriminating listeners plenty to chew on. The guitar work is consistantly crisp and capable of taking over when needed. Rhythms are sharp and keyboards are welcome as this band sounds quite connected with no where to hide in this live recording. There is always some safe territory within this genre, but this band rises above often enough for me to give this additional listens. I was also drawn into the quality of the songs as opposed to just enjoying the quality of the playing which is really important for me when I listen to folk, blues and Americana based acts. And this record has me looking forward to their Iota show on the 10th of January. Try to catch these guys then or at hopefully many other upcoming shows this year.
Songs to sample:
Right Here Right Now - This gets off to a really cool start with a minor cacophony of sounds before the tune settles in. It's almost a Drumbo arrangement for Trout Mask Replica and would not likely be used on most studio recordings.
Blind Mind - The rhythms really pop and the bluesier guitar and keyboards set up the vocals well.
Let Me Know - I thought maybe my soundtrack to Shaft album snuck into my CD player here when the guitar got going. This sort of shift when well executed makes any album better.
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