Surprisingly sophisticated third
My expectations of brash Americana were quickly eased by this surprisingly sophisticated third album from London based Souther Still. This is a band firmly in touch with their musical roots and this is demonstrated from the opening bars of Great Wild Street. These roots however don't descend from the canyons of LA or the whiskey bars of the deep south but from the elegant chimes of English Folk guitar and the melancholy of a seaside resort in November.
'Disappointment Island's atmospheric nature sets the tone for an album of regret and escape and its pretty rhythms can't mask where these folks are running from "save me from the waves" singer Bradley Putze pleads. 'City Rose' heads for more Blues/Rock territory and again the lyrics again give way to new starts and a Steinbeck like sense of poverty and longing. Sounding like the great Grant Lee Buffalo, the added Hammond organ and blues slide provide a rich backdrop to optimism on offer.
'The Blood That Flows' is an ode to shameful pasts and resonates in gothic/country darkness. Sounding similar to Tim Booth, Putze retains a sense of atmosphere and Englishness, which is why this record is such a pleasure to listen to and why it's not easy to simply dismiss Souther Still as another alt-country wannabe hailing from the wrong side of the pond.
The fact that "Great Wild Street" excludes all the usual clichés and instead concentrates on imagery and atmosphere of each song says much about the intelligent song writing and potential of this band. 'Geraldine and the Highway One' encapsulates everything that's great about this album with its nod to romanticism and travel through "film noir in my beat up car" while again retaining there sense of place "Pinewood and Hollywood".
"Great Wild Street" is equally full of sadness and adventure, escape and regret and its sepia vignettes probe what might have been and hopefully for Souther Still, what still might lie ahead.