TRICKSHOOTER SOCIAL CLUB’s Truck Stop Dangerous is a mix of blues and alternative-garage rock that uses harmony, excellent guitar work, and some other instrumental highlights to create a sleazy-smooth vibe with a good heart that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
The first track has this gorgeous, crunchy guitar part that works brilliantly with the smokey, nuanced delivery to build a confident introduction to the EP’s style and tone. The contrast between the vocal's timbre and the guitar’s distortion forms this juxtaposition that adds tension to the track and emphasises the strengths of each of the parts. Throughout the EP, TRICKSHOOTER SOCIAL CLUB balances its vintage influences with a modern sound, taking inspiration from the past and making it their own. The phrase "almost famous and beautiful" felt connected with young people on the cusp of breaking into the entertainment industry. This mix of hope, energy, and uncertainty is explored through the lyrics.
The second track, Clarksdale Serenade #2, has an aggressive and energetic instrumental and delivery. I particularly like the heavy riff used on this track. Its repetition and evolution feel almost hypnotic. This riff and the vocals put you in a trance that immerses you in the song's energy. The pace changes throughout the song, speeding up and slowing down several times. This change shows off the rhythmic control of the drumming, which sounds natural through all the different paces and the transitions between them.
Elvis Figurines has a nostalgic and whimsical vibe, captured through the melody’s reliance on the fiddle. It heightens the diversity with its high register and embellishments to the sonic tapestry of the track. I like the moment of silence the s uses before the phrase “Elvis figurines.” It is inspired to use silence as a blow that underscores the importance of the lyrics.
The final track, Lie To Me, feels melancholic compared to the other tracks on the album. There is a subtlety and emotional ambiguity that feels unique to this song. The repetition of “you can lie" gives a sense of the impact lies have had on their relationship through its frequency in the song.
Truck Stop Dangerous is a brilliant display of modern garage rock, blending other genres and inspirations into its sound to create a unique vibe that tells compelling stories through lyrics and bold, melodic ideas.
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