Review from Canada Rock Doc reviews for Nov.15th, 2013 Canada Online News | Gonzo Online! - Music WRITTEN BY JOHN THE ROCK DOCTOR KEREIFF SHANYTOWN Shanytown (Garage Door) **** The debut album from another branch of the Lynyrd Skynyrd family tree. Southern rock with plenty of guitar action, I gotta say this is a very likeable disc. For some the Skynyrd connection is a selling feature, but not for me- a few hits aside, most of which Classic Rock radio overplays like a zealous retard, I’ve never been that into them. But I do like hooky, riffy guitar-driven rock and Shanytown’s self titled debut has that in spades. Singer/ guitarist Ron Morris and drummer Robbie Morris are nephews to the Van Zandt clan, and rounding out the group are guitarist Kevin Williams and bassist Charles Moody. I love the sound of Les Pauls squalling out of Marshall stacks, being driven by a blue collar ‘nothin’ fancy let’s just get the job done’ rhythm section, and that describes this disc quite nicely. With power chords and skittering violin figures Red Neck, the album opener, is an impressive calling card, a lyrical twist on the topic you might not be expecting. Songs of brotherhood, loud cars and outdoor pursuits abound, with a heartfelt life on the road mid-tempo ballad like One More Night throwing in for a change of pace. The songs are ‘slice of life’ as is typical of the genre (and of country music too), and that’s just fine by me. Perhaps most of all, though, Shanytown is a great sounding album. Produced by drummer Robbie Morris and engineer Glenn Halverson it sounds the way a rock & roll album should- the guitars nice and thick yet they don’t get in each other’s way, the bass stays in the pocket to provide the heartbeat, and I even like the sound of the snare drum. This has muscle & heft, begging to be played at physical volumes- who are we to argue? Shanytown’s brand of brass knuckle/ take no prisoners southern rock & roll is the real deal, and this is a hellaciously fine debut. COOL CUTS: Redneck, Loud Pipes, Mexico
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 17:41:45 +0000
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