CD REVIEW: THE IRON BRIDGE BAND – Against The Grain

Shane | 29 September 2016 | Reply

CD REVIEW: THE IRON BRIDGE BAND – Against The Grain
Messej Media & Publishing
1 July, 2016
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
9/10

The Iron Bridge Band hail from the Garden State of America, New Jersey, and you can line up their influences, connecting dots from Free to The Allman Brothers to Bruce Springsteen to Bon Jovi – that latter two also from Jersey.

The quintet (plus a few friends) create a joyous sound which is (to borrow from their own PR) ‘familiar but fresh,’ and echoes of ‘70s radio abound – well constructed songs with strong verses, stronger choruses, lyrics that draw pictures, a layered production which is never afraid to add instruments or another vocal here or there for extra texture.

Theirs is an extremely moreish sound: a groove to kick up dust to, a vibe that nods to country, but is half rock and half roll.

Singer Chandler Mogel boasts a distinctive and from-the-heart voice, so down-home and gloriously real, that slots in perfectly with Amy Anderson’s female vocals throughout, and Jessie Wagner’s featured vocal turn on Day Gets Me Down.

Against The Grain features forays into rootsy Americana (Raleigh), bright n’ breezy Cali rock (Every), excellent storytelling (Black Sheep’s Son, Light In August), swampy stomp (Mark Twain), the organic jamming groove of ‘70s Stones or early Black Crowes, and the blue collar authenticity of Springsteen or Mellencamp.

Backwoods Charm (A Southern Gothic) process it’s not all bright and cheery good times, standing out with a darker vibe, whilst Day Gets Me Down sees them tackling a song of yearning as a soulful spiritual to great effect, complete with celestial organ and an impassioned vocal performance. Faded is a wistful and dreamy instrumental, while acoustic closer Light In August is so retro, fragile and beautiful that it evokes visions of Sandy Denny and Heart.

You can practically smell the smoke from the campfire around which most of these songs must surely have been written, and this second album is as good a record as any to be released this year.