Karly Hartzman fronts this indie rock band that blends the sounds of the 90s into something compelling on many levels. She sings in a very convincing and emotive manner. There is plenty of rock used as a clamoring dynamic. "Bull Believer" has a great deal of ebb and flow to the arrangement with fuzzed-out chords being bashed in unexpected places. The strum of the guitar slows into a more country-minded melody for "Formula 1" which is a fitting title given the subject matter. They prove capable of shifting stylistic gears even this dramatically.
There is a more anthemic rock feel to "Chosen to Deserve" and then the country guitar tone returns. She sings about how she used to drink so much on weeknights that she threw up at her parent's house. Drinking seems to be a theme of the album. "Bath County" is a story of drug overdose and drunken white trash tricks, told through a more thoughtful eye. The country influence is still there and it works well. The more ambling folk-tinged "Quarry" is pretty effective, as it flows well. It almost touches on the kind of rock country blend that Jason Isbell hits with the 400 Unit. Lyrically it takes a look at the same corners of America. It's Hartzman's voice that keeps things in a more indie rock zip code.
"Turkey Vultures" is a little darker, but it is also not as focused on the song, The melodies which are normally this band's strength are allowed to wander in a manner that does not work as well with the music building around it. "What's so Funny" works better with its more introspective tone than the previous song. "TV in the Gas Pump" closes the album, with its more deliberate strum that gives the song more motion. The vocal melody is not as hooky, which leaves the song to drone more. I will this album a 9.5, as it is very well written and thought out.
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