The Waco Brothers:
Electric Waco Chair (Bloodshot)
Alt-country. I mean, what the hell does that mean? Here in Chicago, it’s thrown around with
almost the same regularity as terms like "wind chill" and "political corruption." But the latter,
at least, defines something -- say, when your alderman pockets a five-figure bribe in exchange
for a cherry city contract. On the other hand, alt-country could be practically anything -- Chuck
Berry, Meatloaf, Pere Ubu, Liberace, At the Drive-In, Yanni -- you name it. Anything that sounds
like it wouldn’t have made the soundtrack of Coal Miner’s Daughter. Since you won’t hear
Loretta Lynn warbling "Walking on Hell’s Roof Looking at the Flowers" or "Make Things Happen,"
call the Waco Brothers alt-country, I guess. But also recognize that this, their fifth and best
long-player, is where the shtick finally hits the fan as Dean Schlabowski shoves Jon Langford
toward the sometime-Mekon’s best rock and roll since The Mekons Rock ‘N’ Roll. Not that
they’ve outgrown honky-tonkin’; you’ll find snatches here and there of the twang that often gets
them miscast as a novelty act. But Langford’s always expressed himself best over dirty guitars
and a backbeat, and this time out, he’s clearly got something to say.
Rating: 8
--Rob Brookman
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