REVIEW: Nineteen Wheels, Six Ways From Sunday (Aware)
- Arabella Clauson
The music industry has felt a constant rumble rolling out of that big state called Michigan, and it has nothing to do with El Nino. The young band Nineteen Wheels has recently garnered national attention after signing as the first grassroots act on the new AWARE/Columbia label. In recent years, AWARE Music has released compilations featuring then-independent bands such as Hootie & the Blowfish, Edwin McCain, Matchbox 20, The Verve Pipe, and Better Than Ezra.
Judging from Six Ways From Sunday, the band is right on track. Drawing from the recent insurgent country movement so pervasive on the airwaves these days, the sound falls somewhere between Grant Lee Buffalo and Son Volt, with a dash of Pearl Jam on a couple of tracks like "Colorado" for good measure. Frontman Chris Johnson's vocals evoke Son Volt's Jay Farrar, pleasantly gritty, like the tasty charred bits on a barbecued steak. He consistently delivers emotionally driven vocals backed by a band that could have defined Midwesten country-rock if it was still uncharted territory.
Intelligent structured tunes are the norm for this band, ranging from the infectious upbeat "13 Seconds to Burn" about the inherent restrictions in the life of a prison inmate, to "Make it on the Warm," an introspective glimpse into the meaning of truth. The first single, "Colorado," is marked with driving guitars and pounding rhythms, reminiscent of the Pearl Jam sound, though the Eddie Vedder fan club may disagree. The disc is refreshing because every track seems balanced with another one. For every electric guitar screaming, baseline thumping tune, there is a calm, hummable acoustic piece to match.
This is an album for the those who still mourn the passing of Uncle Tupelo, but like the new offerings from Wilco and Son Volt. If an eighteen wheeler rumbles through your CD player, look for the Michigan plates and the extra tire.
