The Tennessee Warblers, a four-piece string band, offers a fun, simple Americana release with its self-titled debut EP. The band is made up of four Nashville transplants: vocalist/mandolin player John Beck, banjo player Charles Butler, vocalist/guitarist Adam Dalton and upright bassist Dean Marold. The group is wasting no time putting its footprint into the Nashville scene, with shows at The Sutler and Tennessee Brew Works planned throughout June. The Warblers’ sets consist of covers of Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead, among others, as well as the tracks from this five-song EP, which was recorded, mixed and mastered in Nashville.
The Tennessee Warblers put their best foot forward right off the bat with their strongest cut, titled “Mandy.” The three-minute song focuses on a troublesome love that the singer just can’t get enough of, with a earworm chorus of Mandy, Mandy / Your eyes glisten like candy / Your lips hit me like brandy / my girl, my girl Mandy.
Following that song is another catchy number, “I’ll Be Your Daddy.” Its lyrics take the theme of the subject caring for his lover as a father would. It’s a sweet sentiment, but, if you’re like me and think it’s creepy when a guy’s girlfriend calls him “Daddy,” then you’ll be a bit weirded out by this song. But if you’re into that sort of thing, the subject is front and center, so enjoy.
The remaining three tracks aren’t quite as memorable as the preceding ones, with “Restless” and “Mack Dan Rickles” being perfectly adequate cuts, but they go in one ear and out the other. And while it might take a few listens to stick with you, “Hard to Dig a Hole” features the strongest songwriting on the EP, beginning with simple lyrics about breaking soil, but soon diving deeper into a darker subtext. Hard to dig a hole with tears in your eyes / Hard to dig a hole when your whole world dies, the vocalists sing in the chorus, leaving you hooked. It’s solid moment on a solid debut peppered with well-played instrumental breaks, and recommended for fans of Americana and Southern folk.
The Tennessee Warblers’ self-titled EP is available on Bandcamp and Spotify.
