The Dustbowl Revival
Album: Carry Me Home
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 10
Website: https://www.dustbowlrevival.com

When Lost Angeles based combo, The Dustbowl Revival, decided on the opener to their new album, "Carry Me Home", I'm guessing they didn't realise the significance of the opening track, "Swing Low" to the English rugby fans. If you've heard that song being sung with a real passion by thousands of fans in the bowl that is Twickenham, you know what spirit is all about, but in fairness to Dustbowl Revival they come damned close.

Actually the opening track is quite calling card, one that really does build anticipation for the rest of the album, something that is immediately confirmed by their version of "John The Revelator", recorded in the style of a 1930s New Orleans funeral song, with lots of call and response and clarinet and horns heading off towards the celestial heights.

A lot of "Carry Me Home" has got that between the two world wars feel to it, late twenties, early thirties, predominantly, with some of the songs, "Soldier's Joy" reaching back even further. I say reaching back even further, but actually this ten piece have updated the civil war song to reflect the horrors of modern warfare.

The Dustbowl Revival have the swagger of the bands that used to play the sleazy gin joints and honky tonks on a Saturday night, before getting their act together to get into church on the Sunday morning and play for redemption with obligatory whoops and hollers when the preacher got to the hell and damnation stuff.

Strings, horns, vocals, both male and female, The Dustbowl Revival have got plenty of punch to draw upon and draw upon it they do, not only capturing the spirit of the songs, but the atmosphere as well. They really do feel like they are living the music as well as playing it.

At times "Carry Me Home" is quite an intense album, but it's not one without humour, check out "Josphine" for a lighter moment. There's also the dark humour of people living in tough times, mixed in with the life and death stuff. The band is big, the music across from New Orleans to the mountains, but boy what an album, I don't think there's a minute where it lets up and it carries you the whole way. Fingers crossed they can find their way over at some point.

Neil King