For Blaring Purposes

Drunk Stuntmen
Trailer Life

At first I thought: this is not an Americana album, unless Americana these days includes clever, melodic guitar rock. It might, I've lost track. Further on in the album however, the versatility of the band is on display and countrified swing and acoustica poke through.

I like it and if you don't mind some newfangled electric busyness I hazard to suggest, so will you.

Exhibit A, I reproduce this from their website:

Drunk Stuntmen encourage taping of their live shows for personal and noncommercial sharing and blaring purposes. Some venues may put restrictions or prohibit taping. Please don't go to see us at those venues, anymore.
We love you.

And we love you. I like the attitude. I first decided I liked their songs when I heard the line: "She knew I was a Capricorn/after guessing eleven other signs." Heh! My thoughts exactly. That's in "Bolinas", a stompy rock number which still takes the time for an organ solo and horns. There are alot of bands in the world and you can't listen to them all, but I reckon if a band cares enough to have a piano player they have passed the first test. A personal yardstick of seriousness. The Drunk Stuntmen have that and there are a fair few horn parts too. By the time you get to a swing number like "Mystery" and the pedal steel ballad "Made of Wood" it qualifies as well-crafted Americana. The titular song "Trailer Life" starts off with heavy-ish, buzzy guitars but features a piano boogie dance chorus. "Gotta Go" is pretty straight country boogie. But it is the rich bluesy-ish ballad "Bus Back to Birmingham" that is my standout song. I'm sure Birmingham is not a really interesting place in reality, but there are enough great songs about it, it has a fantasy life in my mind.

The songwriting is strong throughout, a spread of irony here and there but its not forced and other choruses are sung out in a way that invites your accompaniment. Perhaps not everyone will dig every song, but most people reading this blog will find something to enjoy in "Trailer Life."