The first review of 2017, and it’s a belter
Southern Rock is all the rage at the moment (and just a cursory look at this reviewer’s best of 2016 would indicate MV is a huge fan) but exactly what constitutes Southern Rock is an interesting debating point.
When this, the second LP from Lafayette, Louisiana quartet White Light Cemetery arrived, it proclaimed them to be the “newest recruits to Ripple Music’s Southern Rock division,” but this doesn’t have a lot to do with Whiskey Myers or Skynrd – or Pantera at the other end of things either – so what is it precisely?
Well, “Careful What You Wish For” is eight tracks of classic rock n roll, which just about references anyone who has made a cool rock n roll record in the last 40 years.
It begins in a manner which suggests it knows it’s very cool indeed. “Misery Loves Company” takes its time to get going, but crikey when it does, it possesses a big swinging dick of a groove, a perfect chorus and in the shape of Shae Bearden, a singer that is so perfect for this he was probably born holding the first Free album. OK, maybe not, but if he’s not heard “Deliverance” be Corrosion Of Conformity, then we’ll eat our metal hat.
To that end “Sky River” is a perfect slice of CoC flavoured stuff, with just the right amount of fuzz and grit in the solo too, and by the time the bass heavy intro to “Looking Out (For Number One)” has hit and its verses have done something a touch more monolithic, then you are ready to proclaim them as the shiniest of shiny new stars.
In fact, just when you think they can’t get any better, along comes something to prove they can. “On A Dime” has Bad Company and Deep Purple writ large all over it, oh and any album with a track on it called “Quit Work Make Music” has got to get bonus points, right? This track scarcely needs to get any more cool, but does anyway by paying homage to Thin Lizzy with a dual guitar solo that would even make Scott Gorham’s jaw drop.
From here on it is a sprint to the finish, “Better Days” reprises the CoC stuff, “Waiting” is a mighty tasty slab of dirt – and would surely have beardy blokes the world over nodding their heads in time with the beat – and the closing song “Bullet To Erase” has a cowbell and such a thing is good enough to keep us happy for weeks around here.
“Tomorrow ain’t never gonna be” offers Bearden in its hook. That’s not a problem if this is in the here and now.
So, is it southern rock? Well they are from Louisiana and this rocks like very few records manage to, but we’ll let others define genres. We’ve got this to listen to again. Make a wish and you might be this good too.
Rating 9/10
