It's a point that virtually all reviewers fall back on when considering Oklahoma City's THE ROUNDERS, but one that needs making regardless: how the hell do a quintet of fresh-faced early 20-somethings make music so imbued with the authentic feel of the blues? Has the Mississippi delta been diverted without the rest of the world being told or something?
We can only speculate, I guess, but the fact remains that The Rounders' new album 'Wish I Had You' sounds far closer in execution to the vintage sounds of Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Allman Brothers (with a bit of Brit mid 60s blues boom lobbed in) than should theoretically be possible when all the protagonists weren't even twinkles in their parents' eyes in the late 1960s.
Whatever, the end results are seriously satisfying for the most part. The sussed, crisp and insistent opener 'God Knows I'm Trying' gives you some idea of the kind of thing The Rounders have got going on, with vocalist Brian Whitten howling like an amalgam of John Fogerty and a young Steve Winwood over the band's 'Bayou Country'-style backing.
It gets even better too. 'Wish I Had You' itself is powered along by some great, off-kilter style John Lee Hooker riffing, Whitten's lusty and spirited vocals and a backbeat that's both lazy and deadly like a sleepy rattlesnake sunning itself. The ensuing 'My Getaway' then demonstrates they can groove, too, wth Ryan Taylor and Michael Stone's fork-tongued guitars striking and kissing each other (it's hard not to think Duane Allman and Dicky Betts here) and drummer Stuart Williamson's snare work getting notably funky.
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Elsewhere, songs like 'Oh Why' and 'Oh, My Dear Mind' demonstrate the Rounders' razor sharp grasp of dynamics, with sweet and chiming guitars beautifully complementing the deceptively simple rolling rockabilly rhythms and David Spindle's jaywalking basslines. 'Let Me Talk At You' surprises again: agressive, predatory hard rock with the record's fuzziest guitars and Whitten snarling "I'm not gonna beg your pardon, no." Way to go, Brian!
Just to show what a talented bunch they are, The Rounders then slip in a John Mayall-style bluesy strut on 'Wait For Me' with guest player Dustin Arbuckle's wailing harp sitting in before proceeding to display their knowledge of the 50s via the vintage brew of 'It Wasn't My Baby'. With all bases seemingly covered, they kiss off with the upbeat, no-nonsense r'n'b (original definition of the term, please) known as the plaintive 'Goodbye George'.
Thanks to authentic and energetic releases by bands such as Pearlene and The Muggs in recent years, W&H's ears have been opened up to the new breed of gritty blues advocates being thrown up by the Midwest. The Rounders, though, may just be the very best of this select little list. Let's keep an eye on them and hope they make it to this side of the Atlantic before much longer.
(www.blindpigrecords.com)
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