Monday, September 15, 2014

Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders The Last of the Originals CD Review

This Australian act has all of the energy and talent that they need to make the tracks on The Last of the Originals shine; over the course of 10 tracks, the band is able to establish their own unique style. Mrs Jones is a compelling track that settles in nicely to mid-nineties alt-country; hints of R.E.M. and Wilco can be made, all while the vocals provide a wonderful narrative quality to the track.


a3986586963_10


I’m Gonna Get That Girl begin with a sizzling guitar line that acts as the perfect counterpoint for the vocals that follow; I like the band’s ability to have a complex time signature and a complex overall arrangement. Were lesser bands would struggle trying to make everything work, each track on The Last of the Originals contributes to the overall zeitgeist of the album.


My Baby Gone Cold works on two different levels; the vocals are slower and cast in a more Johnny Cash meets Mike Ness style while the instrumental arrangements keep a lively tempo. No More Mr Nice Guy opens up with a harmonica and utilizes a walking bass to set the cut off; there is an energy crafted during this effort that will keep listeners firmly seated until the strains of the last track, Red Head Baby, cease. Red Head Baby is the perfect microcosm of the styles and genres that the band broached during this disc.


Make sure to pick up a copy of The Last of the Originals from the band’s Bandcamp, and visit their Youtube at www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fj5L70KfWvrhORMjkF6fQ for the latest in information about their tracks.


Top Tracks: No More Mr Nice Guy, I’m Gonna Get That Girl


Rating: 8.7/10


Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders The Last of the Originals CD Review / 2014 Self / 10 Tracks / billyrobertsandtheroughriders.bandcamp.com/