CHANGE! One of the few constants
in our wild universe, CHANGE is often vilified and looked down upon; even
scorned! Some people view CHANGE as a way to escape the past, when really it is
a way to build for the future. CHANGE can be a positive theme in people’s life,
and it seems that Josh Fleming has made it one in his. The Phuss had
been making noise in the DFW rock scene for some time, and had been on the
radar of everyone for very good reason; as Josh began writing new material.
After performing some at open mics with this material and recouping from a
grueling tour; Josh realized that the new material he wrote wasn’t meant for The
Phuss. It was meant for something different, a CHANGE needed to occur, and
that CHANGE turned into The Vandoliers
and their first album Ameri-Kinda. From
the very first riff of Runaway Sons, you can feel the punk roots that
made The Phuss such a powerhouse, but energy is focused in a different
way. The aggression gives way to fluidity and subtle presence. The outlaw in us all comes out in these
songs, a feeling of rebellion normally left for leather jackets and spikes
feels right at home with fiddles and banjos. If you think you have the band
pegged from the first two tunes you are wrong as a curve ball gets launched in
your direction when the mellow but powerful Wild Flowers gives you a
clear vision of how these songs are crafted. The thought of CHANGE still rears
its head as the album moves along, with the moods shifting from hopeful, to
jaded, to sympathetic, and back again all before you can catch your breath. The
feel of the album is one of experimentation within a field of study that one is
well accomplished in. Every musician in The
Vandoliers is more than capable of
playing flawlessly, but I feel that the freedom to be as creative as possible
led to a very genuine sound. This isn’t polished Tennese Country, this is dirty
home spun Texas music…calling it country would be trying to tame a Mountain
Lion…pointless! The vocals are the gruffness people loved from Fleming’s former
band, but there is a haunting twist with harmonies that add the perfect
overlaid dynamic on top of the musicality. From the moment you turn it on to
the moment it repeats back (if you stop the album one time through you are
doing it wrong) you feel the sincerity in Ameri-Kinda and The Vandoliers
that is lost in rural music today. Maybe
it is time for the city to kick the country boys in the rear and take on over,
maybe it’s time for rock and rollers to put their boots on…maybe it’s time for
a CHANGE! I know The Vandoliers think so, and they are putting their music
where their heart is.
Stand Out Tracks: Hank….Blaze
of Glory….Wild Flower
Listen if you like: Outlaw
Country…Music that will make you dance….Rock and Roll!
Check them out at http://www.facebook.com/Vandoliers
Review By
Chris “Positive C” Edwards
No comments:
Post a Comment