When someone creates a masterpiece as Railway Gamblers did at the beginning of the year with Shadow Of The Moon, many would go on sabbatical and live from that glory for at least a couple of years. But, Railway Gamblers are not ‘’many’’.
Last year I had two favorite albums, and it is the above mentioned one from Railway Gamblers and Nonagon Infinity by King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. These two bands do not follow the norm that there should be a 2,3 years break between the albums. Thank God for that!
Gamblers are definitely a band who should grow, because what they offer in their releases is a brilliant Americana that captures listener’s attention. Their songs remind me of My Morning Jacket’s best days, but they also draw their influence from some musicians from not so recent music history. Everything sounds like a coherent mix of the traditional and the modern, which brings us to the latest shiny amalgam titled A Way In The Wind.
This is a double record with 17 songs walking through the Americana cosmos (the term the band likes to use to describe their sound). Idiosyncratic expression makes them stand out from the rest of the performs in the genre. When we add some intriguing lyrics to it, it becomes conspicuous that this is a band who knows how to transmit their emotions without being pathetic. The powerful rebuke of modern society and it’s alienation is all Railway Gamblers are about.
It’s difficult to fake this kind of emotion. Only year and a half after the debut, the boys have succeeded to polish their style, so everything sounds more cohesive now. This could also be a flaw, as there are no surprises. The whole album is more predictable than Shadow Of The Moon. That’s not to say that this collection is sterile and plastic, rather brought to perfection.
The opening track Hold Me Still resembles David Gray, while the following Gone Again hits the right country-pop spot which could open them doors of many country radio stations. Gotta Get A Way serves as an example of songs in the middle of the record. Right next to it is Roses and Dust, the rawest tune of the collection, while More Than A Dream sparks positive and romantic atmosphere.
Until the end of the record, we get a few more attractive numbers, such as Break A Way For Me that brings Woodstock to mind, and Emily, a track evoking early works of Ryan Adams.
Many small bands are often not small, because they are yearning for you to discover them. When the discovery happens, true love blossoms. Still, in the nebula of new releases, it is difficult to explode from excitement. Shadow Of The Moon and A Way In The Wind are two irresistible albums that will make you explode.
