The Howlin’ Brothers have
quickly become one of my favorite bands. They put out excellent albums, and put
on astoundingly fun and energetic live performances. And from a glance at their
tour schedule, I’ve come to the conclusion that these guys never sleep. Somehow
in their insane schedule, they’ve found time to record another album, Trouble. And, like their previous
releases, Trouble is full of
excellent tunes, and is just so much bloody fun (though there are some gorgeous
darker, sadder tunes here). How do they do it? Perhaps they channel the spirits
of some insane Kentucky moonshining family, and produce the music like automatic
writing. I don’t know. All I know is I fucking love this band, and I can’t wait
to see them in concert again.
Trouble features original material, written by each of the three
band members. It gets off to a great start with “Pour It Down,” a fun tune
that kicks off like an old rock and roll song, then quickly takes on a
back-porch gospel feel, with backing vocals echoing Ian, who sings lead on this
track. Though of course the lyrics are far from gospel; the song just has that
feel. You know? Each of these lines is echoed: “She goes crazy/This time of year/When the sun is high/And the moon is
low/We go dancing.” Plus, this song has some kick-ass instrumental
sections.
“Boogie” is a mellower,
but quite catchy old-time country folk tune about a girl who loves to boogie,
and does it wherever she is (“Boogies in her car, and she boogies in her seat”).
Ah, the kind of girl we all want to know. “Ain’t
no telling if my baby’s coming home/She might boogie and shake it ‘til dawn/Boogied
all night ‘til the band was gone/And then she came home and she boogied on the
lawn.” Ben Plasse wrote this one and sings lead.
Things get good and rough
and raw with “Night And Day,” a bluesy gem that will have you tapping your toes
and nodding your head in time with the beat. It features some nice blowing on
harmonica. “Night And Day” was written by Ian Craft.
The Howlin’ Brothers add
a New Orleans flavor to the album on “Monroe,” a wonderful folk tune written by
Jared Green. This song had me smiling immediately. Adding the “o” to the end of
lines for the rhymes to work creates some funny bits, like “wine-o” in the line “with a glass of red wine-o.” (Do people
still use the word wino? I do.)
“World Spinning Round”
has a sweet and delicious sound, with a rhythm like a horse slowly trotting
across the plains, sadly taking our hero away. Ian Craft sings this one with a
sad longing in his voice that is beautiful. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Which way is up, dear?/I can’t find the
ground/I can’t get over you/My world is upside down/I’m stuck in this fantasy.” Plus, this tune features some nice work on
violin. And Mike Fried adds some really wonderful touches on pedal steel.
“Troubled Waltz” is a
slow, very cool, darker number (you might even call it kind of sexy). A
different version of this song was included on an earlier release, The Sun Studio Session. I
absolutely love this song. Ben Plasse’s lead vocals have a both a power and a
need. And I dig the way the backing vocals interact with him.
“Sing A Sad Song” has a
more mainstream feel, with a kind of positive, uplifting vibe. “If you need a place to fall/Honey, come on
down/You’ll feel right at home.” Yes, I love this song. “When we sing our songs/I can hear the angels
singing along/To a sad, sad song/’Cause it feels good.” Indeed.
Ooo-wee, they pick up the
pace with “Pack Up Joe,” a great, frantic bit of bluegrass bliss. “Let’s hit the road again.” Oh yes, this
needs to be on everyone’s road mix tapes. They really demonstrate what great
musicians they are on this one. “Pack Up Joe” was written by Jared Green.
“Love” is probably the
most surprising of all the tracks on this release. It has more of a reggae
thing happening, and reminds me a bit of Entrain. Ben Plasse wrote this one. “And thank you for the loves that went wrong.”
“Hard Times” is a
delightful bluegrass track, taking troubles and turning them to joy. “I wonder why I ain’t makin’ no money/Hard
times are knockin’ on my door again.” I absolutely love this song. There is
something in Jared’s voice on this track that reminds me at times a bit of
Michael Nesmith.
“I Was Wrong” is probably
my favorite track on this release, and not just because there is a Mr. T
reference, and not just because its rhythm brings to mind something from The Muppet Show. This song, perhaps even
more than the others, puts me in a fantastic mood. The first lines are: “I thought you was funny/I thought you was
fine/I thought you might be the apple of my eye/Well, I was wrong.” I
love the vocal approach to this one. There is something delightfully playful in
the delivery of several lines. I only wish it were longer.
“Louisiana” is another tune
with a really nice, positive vibe, and with a rhythm like a horse joyfully
dancing along, no cares in the world. Yet, the lyrics speak of troubles. “I got pieces of my heart in Texas/I got
pieces up in Tennessee/I got pieces of my heart that are gone/And they’re never
coming back to me.”
Trouble ends with a gospel-sounding tune, “Yes I Am!” The sound of
this track is different, like it was caught live, like you stumbled into their
tent in the middle of things. It’s very short, like we’re just catching a piece
of an ongoing celebration.
CD Track List
- Pour It Down
- Boogie
- Night And Day
- Monroe
- World Spinning Round
- Troubled Waltz
- Sing A Sad Song
- Pack Up Joe
- Love
- Hard Times
- I Was Wrong
- Louisiana
- Yes I Am!
Musicians
The Howlin’ Brothers are Ian
Craft on vocals, banjo, mandolin, fiddle and kick drum; Ben Plasse on vocals
and upright bass; and Jared Green on vocals, guitar, harmonica and piano.
Joining them on this release are Ricky Skaggs on mandolin; Gregg Stocki on
drums; Brendan Benson on vocals, washtub bass and tambourine; Etta Britt on
vocals; Bridget Baumgartner on vocals; Phil Madeira and Matty on accordion and
scrapeboard; and Mike Fried on pedal steel.
Trouble is scheduled to be released on May 13, 2014 on Readymade
Records.
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