OFFICIAL: http://russstill.com
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Written
by Alonzo Evans, posted by blog admin
Authentic
southern rock here from the south, Georgia to be exact! Russ Still and the Moonshiners are a force to
be reckoned with, serving up a hearty stew of groove, grit and rock n’ roll
gravitas missing from the spotlight for a long, long time. The album’s 9 tracks follow an arc of peaks
and valleys thanks to diverse composition and jammed out instrumental
passages. If you’ve come to move, boogie
n’ swing, you’re at the right watering hole.
A
rocking initiative is set thanks to “Promised Land,” a track full of tasty
licks, winding lead guitar figures and a bustling groove laid-down by the
rhythm section. On an album of this
type, you need a hot opener and this one is in-the-red yet plenty melodic thanks
to Still’s power crooning and the way the band keeps things lush. “Long Way from Home” kicks off in acoustic
throes before heading to the backstreets of Nashville with a tuneful approach
to riffs and the electric guitar. This
sounds like country radio back in the days when rap and pop hadn’t touched the
genre just yet. “Glorine’s” has strong
interplay between the ultra-soulful lead vocals and the back-ups, almost
calling to mind a rock-oriented version of “Lucille.” The tune’s about a lady, so that could be the
connection. Grand piano and acoustic grace
sets off the spark in “I Can’t,” a more downbeat number where the boundaries of
balladry are pushed and exceeded.
There’s stellar singing throughout and the increase in volume in the
second half gives it a nice climactic finish.
“Goin’
Fishin’” is catchy if a bit standard issue by the lofty standards set thus far,
so “Juanita” spices things up by incorporate bluegrass-y, amplified guitar
licks with excellent melodies in the verses and chorus. It’s probably the catchiest tune on the record
and it also has the distinct honor of sounding the oldest (in terms of the
decade that birthed it). “10, 000 Ways”
treads similar ground to “I Can’t” and comes out fine as a result even if a bit
of repeat and “Workin’ Class Hunter” is all riffs though it could benefit from
more emphasis on the leads. Closer “Run
Away” is a textbook country rocker that gives a Texaco hat tip to the
innovators of the genre.
Still Cookin’ is a timeless
entry into the southern/country rock genre.
The band is tight but still developing its very own songwriting blend
that comes off strong more often than not.
There are more than enough great tracks, plenty of good and only or two
that could use a little more in the instrumentation department. Overall, this is a solid second outing.
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