The Drunken Hearts: “Wheels Of The City” (2019) CD Review

The Drunken Hearts are based in Colorado, creating music that is a combination of rock, country and folk, with some excellent and captivating vocal work. The band’s latest release, Wheels Of The City, features original material. It was produced by Tim Carbone, who also plays on several tracks. The band is made up of Andrew McConathy on guitar and vocals, Cody Russell on steel and dobro, Jon McCartan on bass, Kory Montgomery on guitar and vocals, and Alex Johnson on drums.

The album gets off to an excellent start with “Fire In A House,” which has kind of an eerie and odd opening, with some unusual percussion and a wind blowing in from some dark place. But once the vocals begin, the song sort of stabilizes. The first line “Love is just a wrecking ball” is striking. But it is that voice which really grabs me. There is something both raw and experienced about that voice, a voice that is emotionally fueled and ready to tear things apart. “Fire In A House” is followed by “Shining Eyes,” which begins like a folk tune with a steady beat. But then that beat grows in power, and when the song kicks in, there is something of an urgency to its sound and vibe. It becomes more of a rock song. There are interesting touches on guitar throughout the track. “You were coming back/And I was on my knees/Across the railroad track/And behind the old smokestack.”

“Alive ‘N’ Free” has more of a sweet folk vibe. “Fly across the stars/Alive and free/Fly across the stars, you and me.” That sounds so appealing, particularly these days when people are turning ugly, and we look for escape everywhere. And “When the world shows you traces of who you want to be” is an excellent line. Tim Carbone adds some nice work on violin. Interestingly, this song changes halfway through, taking us on a more serious journey. “I’ll hold you in my arms as we crash into the deep blue sea/Into eternity.” Toward the end, this track returns to that folk sound. “Sometimes this world shows you how to be free/Alive and free.” That’s followed by “Run It All Together,” this one having a bright, upbeat country feel, and featuring some nice work on steel guitar. “I never saw you go/And I know that’ll haunt me forever/I tried to grow/But I never meant to grow away from you.” Then “Unrest” comes on strong, with some good work from Tim Carbone on piano. Its opening line “Just getting up is getting me down” certainly stands out, and I think is one that a lot of folks will be able to relate to. The song ends with the line “It’s a long, long road ahead, lord, but all I want is sleep.” Then the first word of the next song, “Wheels Of The City,” the album’s title track, is “Asleep,” which is interesting. I love when the order of an album’s tracks presents a certain flow, be it thematically or musically. And of course these lines really stand out: “Let’s build a bridge and not a wall/Something to bind us and not divide us all.” This track also features a horn section, a wonderful addition that gives the song a brighter sound. Sam Hoyt is on trumpet, Sam Burris is on trombone, John Devivo is on French horn, and Jay Rattman, who is responsible for the arrangement, plays saxophone, flute and clarinet.

Jay Rattman is also responsible for arranging the string section on “Passchendaele.” Yes, halfway through this track there is suddenly a gorgeous section with a string quartet, a delightful surprise. Their sound is uplifting and comforting. Stephanie Bell is on violin, Chris Souza is on violin, Marsha Cahn is on viola, and David Moulton is on cello. Sheryl Renee provides some pretty backing vocals. That’s followed by “Two Hearts (On A Limb),” a song that begins with a good, positive groove. “The tears we’re crying are wearing thin/I miss the feeling of my hands on your skin.” This one too takes an interesting turn. So many of these tracks hold surprises like that. Then “In The Middle” has a funky groove that I love. “Here we are, dancing in the middle, spinning around like fools.” This track also features some nice work on guitar. That’s followed by “Dream Of Waiting,” which establishes an easygoing vibe before the vocals come in like a minute into it. “In a world full of traffic/Cars all over the road/Flashing lights, the reds and blues/There’s no place we can go” are lines that are particularly meaningful for those of us in Los Angeles. And “Maybe someday I’ll finish one thing that I started” is a line that should pack an emotional punch for a lot of folks, a line many of us can relate to. The album then ends with an odd track, “The Cave.” This one features a new voice, that of Tim Carbone, delivering the lyrics as spoken word. It then turns into an instrumental track, with a harder edge and elements of prog rock. This track doesn’t really fit with the rest of the album, and is the only track I don’t care for.

CD Track List

1. Fire In A House
2. Shining Eyes
3. Alive ‘N’ Free
4. Run It All Together
5. Unrest
6. Wheels Of The City
7. Passchendaele
8. Two Hearts (On A Limb)
9. In The Middle
10. Dream Of Waiting
11. The Cave 

Wheels Of The City was released on October 18, 2019.