The New Rising Sons
Thieves and Angels
grapeOS Records, 332 Bleeker St., PMB K42, NY, NY 10014
Release Date: June 27, 2000
Oasis-like cover photo. Wardrobe? Very Gallagher-esqe. And of course, those haircuts. Although it might be easy to leap to the obvious conclusion, stop to listen to the music. While the look and feel may be quick nods to a foreign shore, the four tracks on The New Rising Sons' latest EP ooze Americana.
But this is not a comment on their limitations or their shortcomings. In fact, the allusions you might hear from the speakers depends wholly on your definition "American" music. Sure there's some Big Star, some Matthew Sweet, and some Neil Young. But in my estimation, one might even catch some Chicago, Cheap Trick or REO Speedwagon. (And I mean that in the best possible way.)
What this release does is remove the New Rising Sons lead singer Garrett Klahn one step further from his Texas is the Reason past. By doing so, he is now allowed to rock as he pleases. And this time out, his rock is all over the North American map. Sometimes it's bit country, sometimes it's 70s AM rock, but (dress code be damned) these boys are as American as Ocean Colour Scene or Gomez wish they could be. Of the four tracks, only once, on "Bring Me Around," do they lean a bit too far into the REO area and sound a bit too contrived for even the nostalgic air While comparisons to Sloan and other bands of their ilk will haunt this release, there seems to be an authenticity to this production that leaves one feeling truly rock and roll. Luckily, not always in an REO Speedwagon way.
-- Miguel Banuelos
banuelos@outersound.com
