Creech Holler’s latest collection of tunes to hoe down and stomp to is a little dirty South, a little indie rock. Awesome grooves abound and consistent beats provided by bass drum or foot stomp keep the journey going.
Most of the songs on The Shovel and the Gun are very repetitive, though, staying on same groove for the entire song, in most cases with few dynamic, beat or chord changes within each song. But, as with most good releases, the style on Creech Holler’s disk is hard to peg. I could see them playing a show with a country band, a blues band, a metal band or an indie rock band.
Some of the tracks, like song 2, “Maggie Rose,” contain very catchy, memorable melodies that will have you singing, whistling, chanting or yelling along with first listen, or even dancing around a fire like a tribe of Indians.
Creech Holler’s style is as if the musicians from Oh Brother Where Art Thou went through a rebellious, grungy punk phase?like some guys came down from growing up in the Appalachians and discovered rock ’n’ roll.
Recorded at Murfreesboro’s Grand Palace, the sound of The Shovel and the Gun contains very distorted guitars, their tones borrowing a little from ’90s alternative rock, while still staying near the roots/Americana category. Sonically, the record delivers a full sound, with a constant pulse driving each song, deep, groovy lows and a screaming (sometimes wildly, boisterously screaming) slide guitar on top, with some fiddling around and nifty drum fills sprinkled in. The vocals are a little shaky at times, but Holler vocalist Jeff Zentner reminds a listener a bit of Trent Reznor of all people when he really gets on it with his emotional, jaded screaming.
“John the Revelator,” the traditional blues/spiritual credited to Blind Willie Johnson telling of the writing of the “book of the seven seals,” probably marks the most familiar tune on the CD. The record later evolves into the psychedelic noise of “Color of Bone,” hellishly delightful disjointed clamor. It concludes with another traditional tune, “Poor Pilgrim of Sorrow,” a fitting end; the final two songs are a little darker and put the album to rest?it lived a lively life, a good life, over the previous 40 minutes, generally an enjoyable, energetic and fun experience.
