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Souled American - Around the... |
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ALBUM REVIEWSPick of the Chick: Our Favorite Releases, 1999-Present |
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Uncle Tupelo may have christened the alt-country genre, but they certainly weren't the first rockers to tinker with twang. Souled American are one of many unsung bands that kept twang alive back in the late-'80s and early-'90s, prior to Tupelo's genre-defining jaunt. The Tumult label has just reissued some of the earlier (and harder to find) Souled American albums, including Around the Horn and Sonny--the band's third and fourth albums. The label has rereleased these two albums as a specially priced two-disc set, which also includes the band's video for "In The Mud." Around the Horn and Sonny are both packed with covers of classic country songs, but Souled American aren't your typical reconstructionists. The band chains down the tempos with a ball so heavy that it drags out every inkling of despair hiding within each bar. Some of these songs, like Ralph Jones's "Please Don't Let Me Love You" and John Prine's "If You Don't Want My Love," crawl so slowly that they threaten to stop before the band can reach the final note. Souled American also dose many of these covers and some of their originals with musical tensions. On "Rise Above It," the guitarist hits two consecutive notes at the same time, creating an unnerving effect in an otherwise tranquil song. On songs like "Will Dawg" and "Sonny," a menacing electric guitar surfaces from deep in the mix, dirtying the mellow atmosphere. Around the Horn and Sonny are your ticket to a melancholy, and often unnerving, trip through the country. Don't be mistaken. This ain't no happy-go-lucky pop country (thank goodness). Souled American's tunes of heartbreak and despair are best listened to when the whiskey bottle's empty and you just can't cry anymore. PIGEONHOLE: Pioneering alt-country from the melancholy side of the tracks.
Andrew Helminger |
SOULED AMERICAN
