Rating: ***1/2
I'm a big Southern Rock fan, full-stop.
Skynard, The Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchet. I'm into all of it. So when I opened my inbox and saw some music from Indiana-based Southern Rock band, Crossroad Saints hanging out in there just begging to be listened to, I was pretty geeked about it.
You see, I rarely get a good Southern Rock band to review. Probably because there just aren't that many out there making original music these days. A shame, really.
So I'm gonna fire up the brand new beats buds that I got for Christmas (thanks babe) and check out the latest from Crossroad Saints titled "A Song of Your Own" and rock the eff out. I'll give all my thoughts about it after the jump.
Watch the music video for "Cradle to the Grave" below:
"Cradle to the Grave" is our first track and is also the first single off the record. It's jumpy and fun, but the production seems sparse, and ends up making the band come through kinda light. Solid track for sure, but it isn't that rock and roll gut-punch I was hoping for. On to title track, "A Song of Your Own". This one moves a little faster and hits a little harder with a great horn section adding to a fuller sound. "Legacy" with the organ and earnest lyrical content, provides a great change-of-pace here. The intro being slower until it builds to a true-blue rock and roller as we lead into the second verse. This one is rock-solid. "The Game" and "Ain't Goin' Down Again" are both fun album tracks that lend a diverse tone to the record as a whole, "While Cleansing Time" is a highlight and really should be a single. Such a fun track with a catchy little organ melody throughout. "Just So You Know" is a heartfelt ballad that works well in this portion of the album. It was time to slow things down a little, and this was perfect placing here. "Pride" is a fun rocker, while "Look Around" has a power-pop element that we haven't really heard thus far from this bad. Beatles-esque and wonderful. "You and Me" has fun horns but didn't really connect for me. It drifts a little too far into yacth-rock territory for me. The LP ends on "What's it Mean". This one sounds like the theme song to an 80's crime series and I'm here for it. I thought this track was a great way to end a very solid rock album.
