Album Review: "Workingman's Bellfuries" by The Bellfuries

Workingman's Bellfuries

Let's think back to a simpler time.

Back when rock'n'roll music was wholesome, pure, and didn't raise the hackles of any conservative groups for being evil.

When the church thought it was all right to rock around the clock and before Leo Fender invented bass guitars.

Well, let's be honest, as long as there's music, there will be groups trying to censor it, shame it, and smear it. Whatever is new will raise the ire of those who fear it.

But anyway. Today we're looking at a band who is new, but whose music is not...well not precisely anyway.

Sticking with the premise that anything that can be done has been done, The Bellfuries play a style of rock'n'roll roots Americana straight from the 50's.

The Bellfuries (Lovingly stolen from their website.)

There's a new revolution in music to play outmoded genres of music, or would it be more appropriate to call it a devolution of music?

Here in St. Louis, there's a gentleman named Pokey LaFarge who plays Delta Blues.

The Bellfuries remind me a lot of him, but they chose a different style of music.

Though having the facade of fifties rock, there are some interestingly terrifying metaphors about war, death, and love in the opening track...

There's also no bass guitar player. The bassist  has a standup bass. It's almost like they decided Leo Fender's greatest contribution to rock music didn't matter.

Lacking the Fender Jazz bass was hardly an issue. It never felt as though anything was missing from the music. The guitars are jangly, clean, and lacking any kind of distortion. The bass and the drums, well it's really hard to separate them while listening.

So they're pretty much perfect.

This album meanders all over the map from early rock'n'roll to country soul and all points in between, but no matter where the train is, it always feels like home.

Release: 8/21/15
Genre: Roots Rock
Label: Hi-Style Records
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