Arrow & Bow by The Rugs on Snailboat Records (November 11, 2016 Release Date)

Reviewed By Harry Kaplan

Lovely, just lovely. A little on the poppy side, with plenty of beautiful hooks and harmonies. Also, a little quirky with a punk rock attitude that should be present in all pop music. Definitely a little on the country side as well. The Rugs hail from Chico, California. Whatever formula they have over there is Chico is working because these guys and gals are great. The Rugs consist of the following players: Jeremy Gerrard – lead guitar, vocals; Katrina Rodriguez – rhythm guitar, vocals; Nolan Ford – bass, vocals; Andrew Olsen- keyboard; and, Austin King – drums. Katrina Rodriguez’s vocals pierce right through me. She sounds a little like Natalie Merchant, but I prefer this music to 10,000 Maniacs’. Perfect balance of acoustic sound, keyboards, and electric guitar. The production work on Arrow & Bow is outstanding. All of the vocals and instruments meld together into one instrument. That is also a credit to the talent of the band as their musicianship and vocal talents are superior to most. Arrow & Bow (Track 5) is definitely hit worthy and would see significant airplay if there was such thing as radio. But, since there really isn’t you will have to rely on me for my knowledge and advice. Another standout is Morning Song (Track 6) which is five minutes of spacey and dreamy guitars and vocals. It takes me right out of this world.

So take my advice, buy this when it is released on November 12, 2016. Impress your friends and buy this from this upstanding group of musicians. You can also listen to Arrow & Bow to make your final determination.

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