Album Reviews
- by Nate Hennon
As I have said numerous times before, both in text and in-person, doing music reviews is a mixed bag. On one end you spend several hours combing through music you never wish on anybody and on the other you find stuff that should be heard by everyone. That said, "Forever" by the Vandoliers has established a new category; things you wish you can keep to yourself.
With their bold use of horns and ruckus Americana, Vandoliers hooked me instantly. So much that I found myself no longer listening with a critical ear, just becoming a fan. Nevertheless, the self-proclaimed "Converse cowboys" have destroyed my productivity by dominating my music listening 'playtime'. Any free time I had in my day, I would put on any of their downtrodden songs, like "Cigarettes in the Rain" or "Fallen Again," and get a small dose of boozy nightlife. Or, during the recent rainy California periods that got me down, the honky-tonk drums in "Troublemaker" would take me away to a Texas bar for a few minutes. If you are one of the countless music lovers who has never understood the appeal of modern country, present company included, Vandoliers is your answer. Even though they are never going to be considered Country Act, Vandoliers's "Forever" is better than any album coming out of the current Nashville climate.
Track listing:
- Miles and Miles
- Troublemaker
- All on Black
- Fallen Again
- Sixteen Years
- Shoshone Rose
- Bottom Dollar Boy
- Cigarettes in the Rain
- Nowhere Fast
- Tumbleweed
Lacking the talent to actually play in a band, Tom decided he would write about bands instead. Turns out his writing skills are mediocre at best as well.
