Gourds
(Yep Roc)
The Gourds have never made it easy for those who insist on typecasting their bands within a particular niche. True, they do fit the definition of a rousing, good-‘ole-boy party band, the kind you'd likely tap as first choice when your frat house needs a douse of carousing to help the beers slide down that much more smoothly. But so too, an early set of unlikely covers and tunes that consistently break the mold with bizarre narratives and weird character sketches belie any notion of a rational trajectory.
Consequently, it's with a bit of trepidation that one looks for logic in any new Gourds offering, particularly one bearing an ass-kicker of a title like Haymaker! Fortunately though, there's no need to worry. Truth be told, it's their most compelling and straight ahead outing in recent memory, one stocked with rowdy, rambunctious rave-ups that stay true to their redneck roots. Lead-off track, an aptly named "Country Love," sets the tone, an irresistible invitation to journey beyond the city limits, away from the freeways and concrete canyons, and revel in rural environs. From there on, it's a fairly non-stop roots fest, one which finds the band tipping their collective caps to back porch camaraderie via a series of brash, boisterous Cajun-tinged rockers and country croons underscored by grit and growl. The gruff, down-home sound of "Fossil Contender" and the blustery "The Way You Can Get" max out the muscle, and with the good-natured, down-home ramble of "All the Way to Jericho," "Country Gal," "Shreveport" and "Tex-Mile Mile" (which sounds uncannily similar to "Six Days on the Road" by the way) all upping the ante on fiddle frenzy and giving nods to forebears like the Band, the Burritos, the New Riders of the Purple Sage, the celebratory mood continues unabated.
Hell, the Gourds not only make hay, but also make the most of what becomes a genuinely good time.
Standout Tracks: "Country Love," "Fossil Contender," "The Way You Can Get" LEE ZIMMERMAN
