Arliss Nancy – Wild American Runners

Arliss Nancy’s profile has undoubtedly been benefited as much from their steady touring as their relationship to Death to False Hope Records. Alongside such popular acts as Mixtapes and Direct Hit!,Arliss Nancy has released some digital music through the label which is free to listeners. Without delving too deep into the argument about cost of music, I personally would not know any of these great bands without the site. Truckstop Roses is one of the greatest EPs I have heard in years and Dance to Forget was a great debut, so after the release of the “just okay” Simple Machines, I approached this new release with a certain amount of trepidation.

Wild American Runners eases all fears as soon as it kicks off with the well-known, road worn Arliss Nancy sound. Benjamin is a perfect blend of country influence with classic rock swagger. Cory Call may have the gruff vocals and country influences present, but the band blends a rock and roll attitude into their sound that makes them more akin to Lucero than Chuck Ragan. Their rough shod sound has punk inflections, bringing to mind classic music rebels like the Replacements, if not necessarily musically, surely in attitude. They don’t always hit hard and fast though. Nathaniel slows things down a little bit (but it’s still not apt to label it a ballad) and adds flourishes of piano to heighten the mood. In Nothing to Show, Call channels the haunting vocals of their early releases. Like his counterpart Ben Nichols, Cory Call has a voice perfectly suited for whiskey soaked honky tonks and lonesome trailer parks. Driving drums power Both Got Old, a heartbroken song made for drunken sing –alongs, something like Jason Isbell’sElephant may have sounded like if the entire Drive by Truckers had added their touch. The album kicks off on a high point and just keeps getting better with each song. At the midpoint, Hold It Togethershowcases their blend of alt country and rock and roll, with plenty of bearded punk attitude. There is an easy swing that moves Bloodletter along. The title track aims for the epic sound that heartland rock seems to constantly be searching for. The GB Shuffle is the perfect barroom sing-along, with saloon piano and lyrics about living on the road and lost love. The album closes with the subdued shuffle ofVonnegut, which continues with the theme of the album. For the most part, this is typical of Arliss Nancy, all around great songs that blend multiple genres comfortably.

The songs average around 3 ½ minutes, which gives them a little time to stretch their wings, but still maintains their catchiness. This is a band that exists on the fringes of their respective musical genres. They are too punk for country, too country for the punk purists. The hard driving guitars and flourishes of piano melody temper the rough shod vocals perfectly, creating a comfortable balance that is all Arliss Nancy.