Adam Stephens (guitar, harmonica, keyboard, vocals) and Tyson Vogel (drums and vocals) are two frustrated Americans whose stage name comes from a short story in James Joyce's Dubliners about two frustrated Irishmen.
Based in San Francisco, their raw, no frills brand of punk and blues is not a million miles away from other guitar and drum duos like The White Stripes, The Black Keys or No Age.
We Are Undone is Two Gallants' second album on ATO and their fifth overall.
It opens with the title track where a moody slide guitar closely resembles the intro to Led Zep's 'In My Time Of Dying. The song is apparently about the "unending pressure to acquire and consume" and it's safe to say that the duo won't be seen sporting 'I Love Shopping' lapel badges.
The tone of this and the tracks that follow can be described as displaying a rageful disdain towards the way we live now.
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The point of view is that of disgruntled outsiders complaining how "everything's made to fall apart" (Fools Like Us) or wondering "where did I go wrong?" (My Man Go).
Stephens' raspy vocals give the impression that he's done more than his fair share of hollering about such matters.
These raw and grungey blues tunes are too one paced to arouse much sympathy for their plight.
There is simply not enough to lighten the despairing mood or broaden the sound so the ten bleak songs merely blend into one another for a 43 minute dirge which begins and ends on a low.
Two Gallants' website
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