Search - Left Lane Cruiser :: All You Can Eat

Greasy and gritty guitar-and-drums two-man blues

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 09/15/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Two-man blues bands have become their own genre, blossoming from the font of the White Stripes and a dozen others. Left Lane Cruiser is a Fort Wayne, Indiana duo that offers roaring storms of electric slide playing by Freddy J IV (Fredrick Joe Evans IV) and powerful, driving drumming by Brenn Beck. Though the songs often settle into standard blues progressions, the raw, shouted vocals and in-your-face electric guitar force is quite unsettling. Beck is constantly in motion on his snare and kick drums, adding cymbal crashes for texture, while Evans alternates between greasy power chords, low-string riffs and slide licks that alchemize electricity into music. The torrent of distortion clears momentarily as the duo turns the volume down for finger-picking and washboard percussion on "Ol' Fashioned." But mostly the duo rages, with Evans' growl sufficiently distorted to obscure many of his lyrics. But with titles that include "Black Lung," "Hard Luck," and "Broke [...] Blues," the pain isn't subtle. This is very much what you'd expect from a band that thanks Jim Beam and Pabst Blue Ribbon for "keeping us feelin' good." [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]"

Hillgrass Bluebillies

J. VanDenEng | Chicago, IL | 02/24/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is raw dirty stompin' grimey gritty blues-based whisky-drenched rock and roll. Plenty of open tunings, slide guitar and great drums/percussion that sounds like it includes "instruments" like a washboard and paint cans, trash cans, etc (as well as a normal drum kit). These 2 guys are a real treat to see live - loud and trashy and in your face in the best possible way. You can't help but drink, grin, stomp your feet and bob your head. Two men have never caused such a beautiful ruckus. Some folks are turned off by the gruff/scratchy vocals but I rather like them, and the vocals are much easier to understand on this album than their previous (Bring Yo' Ass to the Table). This album is quite a bit heavier than their last too. My favorites are "Ol' Fashioned" (which sounds like a washboard and resonator guitar were used), and Hard Workin' Man. Putain! is also really good. These guys have great riffs and the beats to match. Powerful stuff here. Great soundtrack for a whisky/meth-fueled cross-country suicide mission in a flaming hot-rodded 18-wheeler, fully-loaded with rabid badgers (bring your own badgers). Oh, play it LOUD. And if you dig this album, make sure you circle back and grab their last one too."