RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
The Black have recently released their anticipated debut full-length, Tanglewood. The Austin-based quartet consists of David Longoria on vocals, guitar, harp, and piano, Andy Morales on drums and percussion, Alan Schaefer on lead guitar, and Nick Moulos on bass. Over the last year the band has toured with ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead in both North America and Europe and during that time have grown from their early days to develop and refine their sound into what it is today – steeped in roots like Bob Dylan, in country like Merle Haggard, in West Coast twang like The Flying Burrito Brothers, and in pop sensibilities comparable to the Beatles inviting Pink Floyd over for tea.
The album’s opener “Cell Block” is a fun sing-along pop rock tune leading into the addictively bouncy “Appletree.” The album then shifts slightly towards a more country rock sound and around its middle the record slows in tempo with beautifully hazy and lonesome songs like “One Second To One” and the album’s highlight “Wasn’t It a Good Year?” Towards the end of the album the songs pick themselves up again with some rowdy honky-tonk-blues-rock like the excellent “J.B. Lenoir Street.”
Overall, The Black, have put together a solid recording full of good songwriting and musical performance that’s well worth checking out.
– anatol ziege
No comments:
Post a Comment