Slobberbone – Everything You Thought was Right was Wrong Today
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Posted On September 1, 2000
Not since the heyday of acts such as Jason & the Scorchers has there been such authentic roadhouse rawk as Slobberbone shows here. The Denton, Texas, band, along with cohorts such as Georgia’s Drive-By Truckers, carry on the born-in Southern tradition nicely, continually finding their salvation more in Saturday night than Sunday morning.
Anybody can drink and play raucous music. Truth is, unless you’re drinking, it’ll usually give you a hangover before they finish their set. Slobberbone understands, however. Songs such as “Placemat Blues”, an homage to a certain Minneapolis band, wouldn’t sound out-of-place on some circa-’85 Twin/Tone vinyl slab, replete with singer Brent Best’s aping, apologetic asides for the whole affair as the instruments grind to a halt.
“Placemat Blues” stands beside earnest chooglers such as “Trust Jesus” like a Black Flag fan at a George Jones show. Both are pretty damn hard-core, and while too macho to admit it, they’re more alike than outward appearances would indicate.
At times, singer Brent Best sounds so much like a Texan version of ex-Pogues frontman Shane McGowan (minus the accent) that one wants to check his teeth just to make sure. No matter, as guitarist Jess Barr and guests such as Jim Dickinson match the drunken-angel aura of their fearful leader, maneuvering through the dozen songs with more than enough fire and brimstone (and amazing grace — see “Magnetic Heaven”) to make this worth recommending to anyone in search of true musical spirit.
