Mechanical Bull | A Million Yesterdays
Woodstock MusicWorks
Review by M.R. Smith
...The not-so-plus side is less compelling melodies and Chase’s tendency to push the grit factor in his voice too hard, pushing toward the “Larry the Cable Guy” side of the country schtick meter. When he eschews this vocal tendency (“The End,” “Biggest Nerd In Class”), his not-quite-Gram/Emmylou blend with Avalon works much better, the well-written lyrics resonate more.
After the reverbed-out She’s-So-Heavy vibe of “Lukewarm Coffee,” featuring Avalon again, Chase brings the variety of elements all together with a fine chorus on the title track, and finally coalesces into a looser and live-er sound (featuring lovely guitar work from Zaloom and Widoff) that suits the band well. Then, it’s “Goodbye Woodstock,” which echoes the sentiment many have in this area when winter arrives, and the sweetly brief “DJ Dancer (Isa’s Song),” which, again, as long as Chase avoids the grrr part of his voice, has an effective…yep, downright honest country style that shows real promise.
In contrast to the pneumatic neo-Country coming out of Nashvegas lately, Mechanical Bull offers a pretty smooth, occasionally challenging ride. Step right up, and see how long you can hang on. www.mechanicalbullband.com, www.woodstockmusicworks.com.
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