Release Date: August 16, 2019
Label: Magnolia
Records/Thirty Tigers
Dragons, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors latest
release, starts breathing fire then settles into the cozy creature comforts of
Alternative Country music. I wouldn't call it Alt-Folk because there is too
much foot-stomping rhythm. I wouldn't call it Alt-Rock because there is too much
acoustic styling and harmonic balladeering. Alt or even straight-up Country
defines it better.
"Family,"
the opening track gets you from the get-go. It will have you running to the
kitchen for a jug to blow into, or a pair of spoons to slap on your knees. It's
a celebration of your own, ripe with reality. "It ain't always pretty, can
drive you insane…". Despite its energy, the song comes across as a bit
derivative. I couldn't help think of the Lumineers Hey, Ho. Alter
the simple bass drum beat slightly and replace "Hey, Ho" with
"Family" and you've got an eerily similar song.
"End of the World,"
keeps the fire burning and deepens the dimensions with rich lyrics and
harmonies diving in and out of thundering choruses and soft interludes. From
here, the band moves into a set of lovelorn and lovestruck ballads replete with
hackneyed country platitudes. This grouping of songs – collaborations with The
Lone Bellow, Ellie Holcomb (Drew's wife), Lori Mckenna & Natalie Hemby –
alter the course of the album, taming the dragon and chaining it to a tree. The
slower turn has some merits as the melodies are rife with emotion and the pain
in Mr. Holcomb's voice sounds drawn from experience.
The album cover
represents two images of Drew Holcomb and following course; the album struggles
to find its identity. Despite the stylistic dichotomy, all these songs have
sincere, wholesome, and heartfelt threads ARE woven through them. If you're a
music fan who values songs over albums, you'll undoubtedly find some gems
on Dragons. As a whole, however, it feels a bit disjointed and
ordinary.
Key Tracks Include: “Family”, “End of the World”
Tom
Endyke-MuzikMan.net Staff
September 22, 2019
Reviews Provided By:
Tracks:
01. Family
02. End of the World
03. But I’ll Never Forget the Way You Make Me Feel
04. Dragons
05. See the World
06. You Want What You Can’t Have
07. Maybe
08. Make it Look so Easy
09. You Never Leave My Heart
10. Bittersweet
01. Family
02. End of the World
03. But I’ll Never Forget the Way You Make Me Feel
04. Dragons
05. See the World
06. You Want What You Can’t Have
07. Maybe
08. Make it Look so Easy
09. You Never Leave My Heart
10. Bittersweet
No comments:
Post a Comment