Steel Mule – 2009
Steel Mule picks up pretty much where Bumper Crop left off, which is to say that these guys are a tight unit capable of whipping up a fair old storm of rock or of being tender and contemplative, a gentle rhythm and blues-y keyboards behind a bruised vocal from Brandon Sampson. They have a sense of landscape – the rural landscape where they grew up – that is rare in rock music, which welds itself more comfortably to urban landscapes.
More than the imagery, though, is the sense of taking your time – ‘take your time, say your piece’ Brandon sings at one point – that fits with the steady, laconic patience of the farming life. The music, too, has something of a sense of apple pie order, of being thoughtfully and carefully constructed so that it flows tunefully and satisfyingly from beginning to end.
- John Davy, Flyin Shoes Review
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