REVIEW: Backsliders, Throwing Rocks At The Moon (Mammoth/Atlantic)
- Tracey Bleile
The latest contender to come out swingin' from the the alt-country corner is a quintet from Raleigh, N.C. called the Backsliders. This crowd takes their fun pretty seriously, and the resulting zingers barrelling out of the speakers is called Throwing Rocks at The Moon.
The grow-on-you like a friendly fungus appeal of this music causes the usual despair about what constitutes so-called 'radio-friendliness', and formats that have no home for bands like this outside of the regions where they spring from. And if it's not the rigidity of playlists that will get this band as it has so many others, it's that genre gap that widens ever further between country and rock - and this is where the polished roughness of Throwing falls right into a tender trap. What could be the saving grace is the Backsliders' willingness to play it each way; straight-edge country, vintage rock n' roll, and the kissin' cousin blend of the two that *is* Americana. If you play it, they will listen...
The band's got the blend that is equal parts classic Nashville lilty cowboy crooning, modern Chapel Hill punchiness, and 50s guitar-hero influence, all cleanly executed, and shows off the real talent that can't be hidden in deceptively simple arrangements. The one-two snap you one way and yank you back the other of the lead off track and then the title track does the job of getting you to pay attention, and once you're in, you're in for the duration. The tunes ring out with the requisite nasal but melodic voices of Steve Howell and Chip Robinson, having done their homework in the John Hiatt/Steve Earle school of beltin' 'em out.
No new truths unearthed here; humans are lonely creatures, small-town life is hard, whiskey is the consciousness-altering substance of choice, and so on. While these guys make music that ain't gonna save the world, and really, as I bemoaned earlier, it is music that bears a distinct stamp of a certain region and within that region, a select group of people. The ironic flipside is that the music the Backsliders make really is ultra-American, and celebrates the joy of songs well-perfomed and many different influences blended and executed with great aplomb.
