 | Gasfoodlodging return with a marvellous album here that makes even their very good debut, Blue Collar Rain from 2017 seem fairly pale in comparison. In the unsigned sector of British guitar bands this indie and alternative country collective from the West Midlands reaffirm their position as being up there with the very best in their chosen field. |
At their forefront is their expressive guitar slinger and songwriter, David Griffiths who has written another thirteen songs for this fourteen track album. There's great indie fuzz with tracks such as Sometimes and Keep on Keeping on and exceptional alt-country twanged ballads such as Caitlin Silvers, Walking the Wire and Bug in the Grass. The latter including samples more associated with modern dance music as does the great punchy punk of Get with the program, the opening track of the album, clearly signifying that Griffiths and his band mates are not adverse to experimentation.
Its all change in the rhythm section of the band for much of this album from their debut one and there appears to be an extra zest of liveliness and thoughtfulness that back up Griffiths and his songs. As a songwriter, Griffiths himself is maturing like a fine wine, "Her stereo is the bible, she preaches JJ Cale" from the aforementioned Walking the Wire track is just one example of the clever use of lyricism that is rife on this album.
Griffiths has also upped the ante in his vocal department. His performance on this album is far more defined and robust. I find myself never being able to pinpoint who he reminds me of vocally? Perhaps he is simply unique and that's why I struggle to do so.
For a follow up album, All Trashed Out is an excellent achievement, a difficult thing to do for any band. Music purists would possibly highlight a weakness with the album's absence of top flight production but in a recording industry where we are continually presented with meaningless musical meanderings that cost a fortune to conceive, and at best could only be described as codswallop, then critical bullet pointing surrounding production on any album of great material is ludicrous to say the least. I'm looking forward to the third Gasfoodlodging album already and I'll be playing this one very often in the meantime.
Favorite tracks: All Trashed Out the title track. A sublime slice of dreamy indie craziness. Caitlin Silvers, country twanged story telling par excellence and From the Darkness of a Day, an indie rock delight with sterling guitar work and lyrical finesse.
For further information on Gasfoodlodging. www.gasfoodlodging.co.uk
alex.force10media@gmail.com
www.outpostmedia.co.uk
A.Gregory. © 2019
Its all change in the rhythm section of the band for much of this album from their debut one and there appears to be an extra zest of liveliness and thoughtfulness that back up Griffiths and his songs. As a songwriter, Griffiths himself is maturing like a fine wine, "Her stereo is the bible, she preaches JJ Cale" from the aforementioned Walking the Wire track is just one example of the clever use of lyricism that is rife on this album.
Griffiths has also upped the ante in his vocal department. His performance on this album is far more defined and robust. I find myself never being able to pinpoint who he reminds me of vocally? Perhaps he is simply unique and that's why I struggle to do so.
For a follow up album, All Trashed Out is an excellent achievement, a difficult thing to do for any band. Music purists would possibly highlight a weakness with the album's absence of top flight production but in a recording industry where we are continually presented with meaningless musical meanderings that cost a fortune to conceive, and at best could only be described as codswallop, then critical bullet pointing surrounding production on any album of great material is ludicrous to say the least. I'm looking forward to the third Gasfoodlodging album already and I'll be playing this one very often in the meantime.
Favorite tracks: All Trashed Out the title track. A sublime slice of dreamy indie craziness. Caitlin Silvers, country twanged story telling par excellence and From the Darkness of a Day, an indie rock delight with sterling guitar work and lyrical finesse.
For further information on Gasfoodlodging. www.gasfoodlodging.co.uk
alex.force10media@gmail.com
www.outpostmedia.co.uk
A.Gregory. © 2019
