Maurice Hope – June 21, 2016 at 03:25PM
Tags:_AMERICANA
American country rock band Speedbuggy USA start off their latest album South Of Bakersfield at a cracking pace, and they rarely look back. The Timbo (lead vocals, guitar, mandolin) five-piece led ensemble of Seth Von Paulus (lead guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Brady Sloan (bass, backing vocals), Jamie Dawson (drums) and Greg McMullem (pedal steel, lap steel, dobro and guitar) draw on influences as far reaching as The Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Jam, The Pogues, Hank Williams and George Jones plus those who helped cement the Bakersfield Sound (one steeped in pedal steel and chicken pickin’ electric lead country guitar); Wynn Stewart, Tommy Collins, Buck Owens, Red Simpson and Merle Haggard.
Born in Hammond, Louisiana Timbo was raised on the above plus the ways of southern life, and this reflects in the band’s songs and general attitude of having a good time. “I try to write music that is true and real to me. To tell stories of hard-working class, those who have taken a wayward path, been beaten down by ill spent time, had lives that have felt pain, love and hate. Souls chained in a vice, in need of hope. I try to write songs of the South looking towards the West (as in Bakersfield, California) says the bandleader.
Adding to the boys staple diet of barroom thought proving fare peppered with traditional sounds as in “Bakersfield”, something the Old Crow Medicine Show would have been justifiably proud of you have a terrific instrumental in “Git Yer Wagon Rollin’. On digging deep into the business of life and regret ‘Wrong Side Of Town” to the accompaniment of mandolin and steel has Timbo joined on vocals by fine harmony, duet vocalist Bunny West. More of which wouldn’t have come amiss, and on saying this it isn’t to say he needs anyone else only their voices fit perfectly, while with a pure as it comes country sound “Set ‘Em Up” presses forth in impressive fashion as the drink, heartache and your good ol’ boy attributes surface.
There are others too as “Rusted Cars” with dazzling steel, electric lead guitar and accordion a new slant to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that brought havoc to New Orleans figures. Be sure to check for festival dates in the UK for festival dates in July in Steventon, Leytonstone, Pikehall, Derbyshire and Halfway To Seventy-Five Festival in Oxfordshire (with the promise of others TBA).
Maurice Hope
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