WACO BROTHERS AND PAUL BURCH

GREAT CHICAGO FIRE

2012-07-12

Chicago's Waco Brothers combine forces on this effort with label mate Paul Burch. The result is a glorious fusion of the Brothers' country/punk/pop urgency and Burch's Nashville country sensibilities that could indeed start a fire with the heat generated by the 11 tracks that go by all too quickly. Rather than being just another alt-county sing along, this release moves in often surprising directions. The title track has a rocking beat and 60's style pop harmonies which gives way to the CCR fueled urgency and solid groove of "Give In". "Wrong Side of Love", with its slashing guitar and boozy vocals, sounds like a companion piece to any number of the Rolling Stone's occasional forays into country. Dylan's "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" gets a roadhouse rock treatment that blows away the dust that has accumulated on the track over the years. Tex-Mex as channeled by Doug Sahm makes an appearance on "Monterey" while the reflective "Flight to Spain" uses fiddles and an accordion to pull you into its mid-tempo spell. The crew turns up the heat a bit on the rocking "Transfusion Blues" which sets the stage for the Drive by Truckers style southern rock of "On the Sly". "Up on the Mountain" is a fast-paced barn dance anthem that will surely have the crowd on its feet in the event this collaboration hits the road. Big fun with something for almost everyone. Smitty