02/24/2010

Deadstring Brothers

Sao Paulo

(Bloodshot)

 

www.bloodshotrecords.com

 

Armed with the prerequisite rock ‘n' roll swagger, as befits a band based in Detroit, and a certain amount of Anglophile irreverence, given that two of their members hail from the U.K., the Deadstring Brothers could have settled for being a Stones tribute band had they not opted for their roots rock insurgence.  Much of the Deadstringers' dead ringer similarity can be traced to singer Kurt Marschke's Jagger-esque slur and moan, but given the band's penchant for haggard, bottleneck ballads and a weathered sprawl, a relative likeness to albums like Beggars Banquet, Exile on Main Street and Let It Be becomes all but unavoidable. Toss in the decadent influences of Gram Parsons and a hint of Steve Earle, and the quartet's synthesis of heartland sentiment and Brit-rock perception is clearly defined.

 

Suffice it to say then, that anyone believing Sao Paulo would find the band opting for a marked change in direction via a bossa nova beat or a south of the border flair would be entirely misled.  The title track bleeds dark desperation, its gaunt, bittersweet plea finding a comfortable fit with the band's usual mix of back-alley narratives and sneering arch defiance.  The brash rebellion inherent in "Houston," "The River Song" and "It's A Shame" affirm the quartet's antagonistic attitude before ceding the spotlight to the weary resignation that marks the final entries, "The Same Old Rule," "Yesterday's Style" and "Always a Friend of Mine." 

 

The common thread is a general air of disillusionment that hangs on every note and nuance, marking Sao Paulo as destination where only the outcasts dwell. 

 

Standout tracks: "Sao Paulo," "The Same Old Rule," ""Yesterday's Style" LEE ZIMMERMAN

 


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