Northern Rock is a bold title for an album – Eastbound Jesus define themselves with the release of their third album in as many years.
Northern Rock not only gives rise to the sextet’s own sound, but perhaps defines something that had previously been elusive – a sub-genre of music pumping out of the northern region of this country. It’s something a kin to southern rock, but not quite; Northern Rock encompasses a variety of musical elements from rock to alternative country to folk-like story telling lyrics neatly packaged within each strategically placed song for an album that redefines the boundaries of Americana in the north.
Gentle drops of rain and soft plucking in album opener, “Out Yonder,” breaks open into a welcoming harmonization of vocals and the listener is hooked. “54 Miles”, a clap along song, would surely have the masses marching to the beat of their own drummer, in this case, Carl Anderson. Northerners are often known for their attitudes (albeit misperceived), which forlorn and edgy lead Adam Brockway captures by strumming his acoustic amid the electric instrumentation. Dave Wright on bass provides the needed counterpoints for a smooth, rounded balance of sound while Dylan Robinson (electric guitar) pushes the limits on “Kate Belle.” Getting down to the nitty gritty, Luke Anderson takes lead vocals on “I Wouldn’t Know”, letting his punchy personality flow into his banjo, crafting character into Northern Rock. But, the congealing medium throughout the disc is the intrinsic lap steel interjections of Zach Infante.
Eastbound Jesus will be unraveling their disc for the masses at a release party open to the public at Revolution Hall on April 19th. Northern Rock is an expression of what it’s like to experience the north. A style of catchy rhythms, contextual lyrics (relevant to the day in the life of a small town northerner), and a homogeneous blend of instrumentation, Eastbound Jesus established a foundation for the sound of northern rock music.
Key Tracks: 54 Miles, North Country Girl, Where the Winter Goes
Comments are closed.