Southern rock is and always has been a genre that I find quite appealing and relatable. I think it probably dates back to my youth growing up in a rural town in southeast Ohio. Down there country and southern rock are pretty much the only two kinds of music that you can listen to without being assaulted, or at least chastised. Obviously that is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get where I’m coming from. The only problem with southern rock is that it is often overwhelmingly formulamatic. Even the greats of the genre, acts like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, Black Oak Arkansas, The Marshall Tucker Band and the like don’t really do a whole lot to differentiate themselves from the pack. Not to say that is necessarily a bad thing; there is something to be said for filling a particular niche, but on the whole it makes the entire genre seem a bit monotonous. For example, I’m sure there has been a time when you were at a bar and “Midnight Rider” came on the jukebox, prompting a 20-minute argument with your buddies over which band actually sang it (that would be The Allman Brothers, in case you were wondering).
I hope that nobody thinks the previous paragraph is my way of dissing southern rock as an art form, because that is not my point. My intention is merely to acknowledge that the genre is what it is, and as such rarely are modern bands able to pull it off in a way that isn’t cheesy or lame. There was a time when I thought Kings of Leon may have changed all of that, but any delusions of that happening faded with Because of the Times and disappeared completely with Only by the Night. This week, however, I think I may have discovered another band that can successfully break the mold of what southern rock is and make it relevant again. Atlanta’s It’s Elephant’s are commonly described as ‘blues-pop’ by many in the business of music journalism, but I think it would be criminal to describe them as anything other than modern southern rock. The blues undertones are there, no doubt, but they were equally present in every album that Lynyrd Skynyrd ever made as well. It’s a fine line, but one I think that the quartet has stepped directly across with their sophomore effort, Gets Along.
When the album blasts off with stellar opener “Sam Loomis Hardware,” the first thing you are likely to notice is the distinctive vocal styling of front man Brent Jay. The comparison to Caleb Followill is undeniable, though given my contempt for KOL it is also a comparison that I hesitate to make. Keeping things in context, it is definitely Y&YM era Caleb, which is the best kind, with his low growl and undistinguishable lyrics. In any event, the song is a rambling masterpiece of crunchy guitars and soulful singing, definitely a stand out track from the record. That raucous vibe is carried on throughout the record, particularly on tracks like “Trees in the Road” and “Better in ’77,” both of which have a particularly sleazy feel to them (in my world, that’s a good thing). That’s not to say that the record is without a few mellow moments though, such as the hazy slow rocker “A Tragic Allegory of Art,” in which the pace slows a bit but does not lose the intensity.
Going back to the southern rock commentary, the genre is defined as much by attitude as it is by sound. Hallmark traits of traditional southern rock are the fun, raucous, and often-raunchy manner in which it comes across. It is a type of music that, by definition, cannot possibly take itself too seriously. This is an art that has not been lost on It’s Elephant’s. With song titles like “Meth Addicted to Whores,” “Black Dock Down,” and “Red Cock Wins,” the band goes about their business in a tongue-in-cheek manner without coming across as tacky or tasteless, all the while maintaining the devil-may-care attitude required to pull off such a shtick. The topics covered in the songs are the typical fare: booze, women, and general debauchery. The albums two one-minute long closing tracks are the only place where things deviate a bit. “Who Is Jeremy Bender” noodles in places, but overall comes off as a short, impromptu jam session. The title track and closer, Gets Along,” however, is a bit more of a head scratcher, playing out like a filler track from a Radiohead album. That in mind, it’s only a minute long and doesn’t take away from what the group has accomplished to that point.
All in all, Gets Along is an excellent sophomore effort, and one that should be on your radar as it is being self-released today. With the exception of maybe the title track that I mentioned, if you like “Sam Loomis Hardware” below, you are going to like this whole record. A lot.
Man – I want to hang out at the bar on the cover of their album!