Arliss Nancy – Simple Machines

Arliss Nancy made its first mark on the Midwestern punk scene with their ground breaking debut full length, Dance To Forget.  Not only did the Fort Collins, Colorado quintet sound every bit as targeted and cohesive as firmly rooted acts like Two Cow Garage and Lucero, but the disc was released as a free download from donation-based internet label, Death To False Hope Records.  The move got them noticed and they quickly signed on to Suburban Home Records for the release of their sophomore follow-up, Simple Machines.  While the album might carry a price tag now, country-punks will find a collection of tight little numbers well worth the price of entry.

“I don’t believe, that we have been, properly introduced,” quivers frontman Cory Calll during the disc’s opening invitation.  As always, Calll’s voice comes caked in the weathered grain of aged wisdom and worldly grit.  He’s the type of voice that commands an audience and that can spin a tale in all the right ways.  Much like the song’s female protagonist (played by guest vocalist Lizzie Huffman) makes clear early on, the song’s character is someone worth getting excited about meeting – and the album’s draw feeds into much the same excitement. 

From here on out the alternative country swagger builds a bond to the cow-punk soul.  Tales of spur scratched bar floors (“Pages”), love that never was (“Should’ve Been There”), and moonlight pickups (“Front Seat”) are made all the more powerful from a timely combination of hardnosed guitar strings and buoyant piano keys.  “Front Seat” in particular springs to life with boot stomp’n choruses and a heartfelt shout out from guest talent Jon Snodgrass whose brief appearance really brings the track’s final moments to life.  High points like “Failure” resonate with working class turmoil, while imagery from “GB: The True Story” builds the pulverant character portraits you’d expect to find deep in the Midwest.

And for those that need something a little more somber, album closer “The Carry” feeds that need for a more delicate touch.  Simple Machines is the complete package, leaving listeners satisfied with the breadth offered.

Overall, Arliss Nancy has outdone themselves with their follow-up to an already impressive debut.  Simple Machines is everything that modern country punks aim for: grit, truth, and a personality stained with strife.  Alongside more recent upstarts like Tin Horn Prayer, Arliss Nancy cements the latest wave of cow punk as worthy contemporaries, and perhaps even successors to their idols.