Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
Hell yeah! Some nice twangy, somewhat distorted, country rock! I have been pining for this for a little while now. I didn’t head south, either. I headed north because these fellas are from Beantown. There are quite a few good country/Americana/roots rock bands in the Boston area and add These Wild Plains to that list. They have been together since 2012 and have been quite prolific in their time together. This is their second full length album, but they have released a few EPs and singles along the way as well. They have opened for acts such as Futurebirds, The Sadies, and Deer Tick.
They have also received some good buzz at festivals such as South By Southwest and Stagecoach. It is pretty easy to see why they are garnering such attention. It’s because their music is damn good. Shit For The Ride (Track 5) is a great song that has incredible twangy guitar riffs that make this song a real standout. The subject matter is self explanatory about bringing a little “something extra” to cut the boredom on those long road trips. Some excellent slide work and great transitions in this song. Wow!
The song that really gets this twang party started is the opener, Old Reasons. Another song that is chock full of expert guitar playing, harmonies, and twang ‘o’ rama. It has the perfect mix of noise and lightly distorted guitars that are a perfect accompaniment to the vocals and harmonies.
This album is so damn listenable I am going to have a hard time turning it off tonight. You need to check this album out. These guys are poised to hit the big stage and I have a feeling it won’t take too long.