Album Review

Two Gallants
What the Toll Tells
B-

Lying on a southern back porch somewhere between Johnny Cash and Social Distortion (or Rancid and Bob Dylan, I can't decide which is more fitting) are the Two Gallants. Combining the urgent and visceral energy of Punk with the vivid storytelling of Country-Blues, Two Gallants create a hybrid of sounds as refreshing as moonshine at sunset. Folksy guitar finger picking and harmonica saddle up with Adam Stephens coarse and dusty vocals, while the other Gallant, Timothy Vogel, provides back up vocals and bare-bones percussion.
The lyrical themes remain rooted in Western Americana mythology. Familiar tales of murderous gunslingers, guilt-ridden wanderers, imprisonment, widows, and death, unwind throughout this rowdy sophomore album from the San Francisco natives.
Nostalgic and well crafted lyrics such as, “My lovin' lady she's a ball and chain. I still can travel but my speed has changed,” fill the album, but contemporary issues are also evident in lines like, “Cops and junkies hurl their sophistries. A.D.H.D. hail cacophony.”
With one foot in a saloon and another in a dingy basement club, Two Gallants either saunter along to slower Country-soaked ballads, or quickly gallop with Punk-inspired ho-downs.
Some of the songs drag along and test my patience; with most tracks running well over five minutes. But the raucous singles break over my head with the force of a beer bottle in a pool hall brawl.

I was saddened to see the "drama" surrounding their show in Houston, I hope it all works out as painless as possible for these two fantastic musicians.

Listen to:
"Las Cruces Jail" (Mandatory listening!)
"Steady Rollin'"
"Prodigal Son"

Myspace is here, website is here.