Riverboat Gamblers – The Wolf You Feed

I’ll be the first to admit that it’s taken me quite a while to really “get” Denton, Texas punkers Riverboat Gamblers.  My introduction came with their 2006 full length, To The Confusion Of Our Enemies, and I couldn’t help but see them as the b-list counterpart to the freshly formed Dead To Me.  Their loose, sloppy style lacked a clear direction and steered off in various unproductive tangents.

That being said, the band really got bogged down with their eventual follow-up, Underneath The Owl, which saw the band draw their songs out and the tempo toned down.  The result dulled their edge and barely felt translatable to their reputable live shows (a feel their early material always rectified).  Many have said that something typically feels amiss with the Riverboat Gamblers on disc, but thankfully with their latest full length, G.F.F.G. The Wolf You Feed, the quintet seems to finally understand how to refine the hooks they’ve been capable of writing all along.

The album kicks off with some earlier era catchy pop-punk tunes filled with their trademark jangle and rapid-fire chorus-verse-chorus succession.  Quick and catchy, “Good Veins” serves as an essential attention.  “Bite My Tongue” keeps up the pace but foreshadows album pacing mid-track with a killer guitar solo that takes the emphasis off speed and places it on chord-play.  The following track, “Comedians,” reduces tempo, demonstrating the band’s growth from Underneath The Owl by infusing a strikingly dark message.  A slower delivery coupled with the ironic choral tagline “comedians ha ha ha” accentuates the message of self- defeat.

From here G.F.F.G. The Wolf You Feed consistently varies speed between tracks for much the same effect.  Quick outings like “Soliloquy” and “Blue Ghosts” maintain momentum, while tracks like “Blue Ghosts” and “Heart Conditions” readily speak with listeners.  “Loser Neck” sits as a curiously grunge piece with its success likely depending on individual preferences – especially with a chorus that sounds as if lifted from Alice In Chains.

The band has been moving in this harder, darker direction for a while now, and if the results continue producing bass heavy grooves like those closing the album in “Eviction Notice,” then the best is yet to come.  It’s still too early to tell if the band is entering mid/late career resurgence, but all the signs point to Riverboat Gamblers entering their next evolution as songwriters.

If you’ve taken issue with the band in the past then G.F.F.G. The Wolf You Feed won’t likely change your mind.  The band’s style remains distinctly recognizable and the slow tracks are probably a little more frequent than they should be.  But the change is evident, and it’s hard to deny that the boys aren’t finally moving in the right direction.  So if you’ve been skeptical of Riverboat Gamblers in the past, thenG.F.F.G. The Wolf You Feed is a fitting opportunity to reacquaint and reconsider.