|
Ramblin'
Hellbillies
"Lonesome Road Blues" CDR
Skunkative
Records
Genres: country-rock, Southern rock, rockabilly
Dec 16 - 22 2002 |
Though
far from the old "ramblin' cowboys" of the 1920s and 30s, The
Ramblin' Hellbillies are an interesting group of country
musicians. Their style is much like that of rockabilly bands, with
equal portions rock and country, though their heavy use of the whiney
slide guitar sets them apart from the rest - and often causes them to
rely a bit too heavily on the instrument, causing the music to become
cluttered. Though they surely have a number of great ideas, their
overall sound needs to be developed a bit more.
The five songs on this disc are all Southern rock-mixed country
songs. Sounding a lot like The Supersuckers and Southern
Culture on the Skids, except with excess whine guitar, the band
often feels unoriginal. Most of the tracks, "Don't Be
Surprised" and "Since You've Been Gone," for example,
are a bit too familiar, sounding too much like all the other Southern
country-rock bands. Meanwhile, the starter, "New Orleans,"
suffers from too much twang and a poor rhythm section.
The CDR's best asset is definitely "Kaw-Liga," a creative
track with a dark, gritty atmosphere that sounds fantastic. It ends
the EP perfectly, pleasing the listener with a fresh, catchy sound
that is sure to get some smiles.
Altogether, this is a fine effort, though is flawed by the presence
of some problematic tracks. Wait for the next release, because with
the promise evidenced on these five songs, the band surely has
something good coming.
70%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
5 tracks; distributed by the
label;
released 2002] |
