As the soft grumble of the CD player starts to roar, I await and expect any number of things. I wait for the sounds of a maniac guitar being torn to shreds by distortion, I wait for a wailing vocalist whining insanity, I wait for a hum of an electric guitar, calm before it bursts into a flurry of riffs and sounds, but I am happily greeted by the familiar call of the "wild".



The opening riff of The Sammies debut record sounds like many of the indie rock bands entertaining hundreds at venues across the US and Canada, and as you listen on you it's not surprising that they seem to fit right in with this bunch. Crunching out powerful melodies and playing colorful leads onto catchy rag-tag rhythms is what they do. Unfortunately, the band stops there; their songs lack the elements of surprise, depth, and intent which is required to fully flourish as a major act. In the arts, intent is necessary; either a message or a mission to bring something new, otherwise they are moving with the rest of the cows and following the herd.



The band hails from Charlotte, North Carolina and are released on the North Carolina label MoRisen. The band states a who's-who of rock and roll as their influences; the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, the Beach Boys, the Beatles, The Allman Brothers, Chuck Berry, and Lynard Skynard. And, It would seem, the bands mission is to revive these classic rockers with their own brand of sweat soaked, passion fueled rock music.



The opening song, "Coming Out Wild", is a surprising little tune which introduces the band as a group of five guys doing what they want, how they want, and with all they got. The lyrics aren't enticing and they don't grip you by the throat; they hit you and demand you party with them. It's a enticing invitation. Lead singer Frank Backgammon's vocals slip under the guitar work and falter with intensity but suit the music well enough that you might kindly ignore them and enjoy the music. The song is catchy and repeatable.



The next song is the first real gem on the album; "For John", a lament on the sorrowful changes of a friend. Murphy Upshaw, the lead guitarist, lays out a clean description of the pain encountered when watching someone lose their grip. He wails his guitar into the air, crafting out a ghostly eeriness for the song's main hook and theme and then tearing it apart into shards and fragments at the end. Like standing amongst dust on the high plains he calls out his melody, hoping someone will heed it.



The feeling of loneliness and of support are the themes that resound clearly in the song; first the melody is wrenching and painful and then Upshaw blasts clean riffs of warm blues into the finale. Even Backgammon's vocals take on a new breath and his thoughtful voice and powerful lyrics are strong enough to incite genuine feelings into the listener. The whole band plays thoroughly on the song; Gymmy Thunderbird on bass and Donnie Yale on drums squeeze the song for all it's worth and a little help from experienced organist Jason Scavone, who lifts the song to astral heights. The song is brilliant, a shining moment on the record.



"Falling Out" is a powerful and catchy anthem, soaring like a seagull high above the blue of the ocean, or like a fast truck riding down a setting sun on a country road. The lyrics still have something to be desired from them but the simplicity and the chorus are enough to make even the biggest nay-sayer to the independent rock-revival start swaying.



Following this tune is "Caretaker", apparently a song about a serial killer, although the lyrics seem somewhat generic. The band plays as a unit full of bravado and confidence. At this point the textures of the songs seem somewhat more predictable and less appealing. The end of "Caretaker" signals a falling out. The rest of the album is a drooping attempt to maintain the energy established in the first three songs.



What is to be expected from the band is delivered with little surprises and originality in the next few songs. Except for "Panther Leap", a humorous ode to their hometown football team the Carolina Panthers, the songs fall flat and don't crawl up your spine like the first few did. The lyrics are drained of all their potency and the guitar solos, although still inventive, don't conjure the soul like before. The band just seems to be having a brawl making music and we get the pleasure of hearing them do so, but one can only withstand so many barrages of sound before one asks for more than just a good time.



However, the band closes well enough that you may want to repeat their album. The final song "King of the Hoedown" is a mud-drenched rhythm-and-rock extravaganza. Echoes of past legends saturate the tune and make it soar a little higher than the songs before it. Although the lyrics and vocals still weigh the song down considerably, the boys jam it out hard enough to lay down an impressive rock ode.



Through it all, the band's debut is a moderate success. It's not the sounds of the bayou from the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival, but the foot-stomping country/rock music of the past set large footsteps, and these guys fill them up for the most part. Clean a few rusty gears here, a couple new pipes there, and this train will be moving hard and fast down the line without stopping. If they could organize and structure their songs with deeper ambience and spend time writing songs instead of playing harder and faster, then we may have a great contender for one of rock's most watched new bands.



Track Listing

1 Coming Out Wild

2 For John

3 Falling Out

4 Caretaker

5 She Died

6 Turkey Herky Jerkey

7 Let it Go

8 Trainwreck

9 Cornerstore

10 Panther Leap

11 Angry Robots Revolt

12 Postman

13 Kings of the Hoedown