Search - Slobberbone :: Slippage

Not bad, but not great.

12/08/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Slobberbone seems to have abandoned their twang on this record. How unfortunate. Their first three albums were among my all time favorites and I loved the combination of distorted guitars and country elements. This record is pretty much a straightforward hard rock record. The songs themselves, in my opinion are not as strong as previous releases. If you're a die-hard slobberbone fan, then by all means pick it up. If you are looking to buy your first slobberbone cd, please get another one instead."

Best Band in America? Perhaps...

Matt Thompson | Athens, GA | 09/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"That may sound like hyperbole, but it's damn close to the truth, as the boys from Denton, Texas, are at least neck-and-neck with Athens' own Drive-By Truckers. And with their fourth album to date, Brent Best and his wooly comrades lay down a solid slab of high-octane, emotion-filled rock and roll that'll part your hair while ripping your heart out at the same time.
From the Neil-Young-meets-English-Beat opener "Springfield" to the melancholy, wistful "Back" that closes the album, SLIPPAGE is chock full of sharp, insightful songwriting and full-bore gonzo playing. Best is the type of songwriter who holds nothing back, even the scary stuff, and it's when he's at his most disconcerting he's at his strongest. Like Warren Zevon, you don't know whether to laugh or back away slowly at "Stupid Words". What first seems like a run-of-the-mill - if still brilliant - late-night phone call to an erstwhile lover descends literally into serial killer madness. You go rapidly from "Hey, he's been reading my mail" to "Oh, dear". Brent's good at stuff like this, and equally disturbing is the blood-filled character sketches on the aptly titled "Butchers".
The world of Slobberbone is a dark one, full of loss and pain, that instead of evoking pity or sympathy, you fill as if you share the pain. It's not a sharing in the touchy-feely kind of way; rather, Brent Best is singing the pain you know all too well. Best of all, the rest of the band separates the 'Bone's internal dialogues from whiny emo nonsense with full-bore rock and roll. Guitarist Jess Barr rips and snarls with six-string brother Best, while drummer Tony Paul Harper keeps a step-and-a-half ahead of long, tall bassist Brian Lane for a truly locomotive rhythm section. In other words, it's sensitive stuff but it's also loud and sweaty.
There are some beautiful songs on SLIPPAGE, too, from the devastating "Down Town Again" to the cutting "Find The Out" and, most of all, the achingly lovely "Sister Beams". Best has a knack for recasting stereotypical song themes into beautiful new creatures with a touch that has less to do with traditional songwriting and more with storytelling.
Finally, for those with a bent sense of humor, Slobberbone takes the Bee Gees nugget "To Love Somebody" and makes it their own. Of course, if you're like me, you think wishfully that Brent heard versions by James Carr or Hank Williams Jr. and hope for the best. Either way, it's damn fine cover of a damn good song.
SLIPPAGE is a stunning effort by a continually evolving band. After every Slobberbone album, I have to say "They can't get better than this," but they always do. Now, Drive-By Truckers...let's see if you can top it."

This is a great CD!

markvnh | Londonderry, NH United States | 12/17/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"OK...Slippage may not be EYTWRWWT...but it's still a great CD. And yes while it has less country influence than earlier stuff, it's still Slobberbone! And to appreciate them you have to see them live. A blistering band! And to see them live in a 150 person club...well...they burn the house down. As for the "filler" madolin/violin...only when they are in TX. Those guys are form Centro-matic. However, right now (saw them 12-14) Will Johnson Centro-matic lead singer is opening and the Centro-matic keyboard/violin player is playing with Slobberbone. Of the 1/2 dozen shows...this one was it. As for a first CD...I still think it's Barrel Chested."