Grainbelt "Trouble Coming Down" (Kranepool Records 2007)

Sounds like a drinking record to me

Sometimes when listening to music, it is nice to be challenged and have to engage the brain. Other times, of course it is great to listen to a band rocking out, playing music designed to drink, fight and fuck to.

Grainbelt are from the second of the two categories, sounding like a band that started out listening to punk before meandering along the road marked country (think Soul Asylum and Uncle Tupelo with a hint of Crazy Horse if you must). 'Trouble Coming Down' contains nine songs - all of which pass muster - varying from plaintive country ('Leave a Stone' and 'Violin') to the aforementioned country punk hybrid ('The Drugs Don't Seem to be Working' and 'Crooked Numbers'). The band are lucky to possess both a talented song-writer in Howe Glassman and a creative instrumentalist in Jason Hughes (guitar, mandolin, banjo and piano).

On first listen to the album, Glassman's vocals sound a little thin and the production is not particularly polished. However on repeated listens the album starts to sound more like a complete package that perfectly represents the Grainbelt sound.

Ultimately Grainbelt aren't going to turn many peoples worlds upside down. However, they are a great rock and roll band who sound like they would be a riot live, and often that is more than enough.

Date review added:  Thursday, October 18, 2007
Reviewer:  Dan Wilkinson
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  Artist Website