Bohannons Light Up the Road and the Soul in Luminary Angels

It’s possible that I had a face before listening to Luminary Angels, but I’m so overwhelmed by the sheer power of these songs that it’s hard to remember. Doesn’t really matter; it’s melted right off. To be perfectly honest, I’m not even finished listening to the album all the way through as I write this but it’s simply love at first sight. The Bohannons deliver an awe-inspiring, gut-punching combo of Southern rock and hardcore punk. While I’m pretty sure they came first, they remind me of Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires’ mile-a-minute lyrics and riffs.

Where Nail My Feet to the South Side of Town grappled with white identity in the South, Luminary Angels has the same intensity but addresses the same material at a more individual level. “Run the Roads” is the kind of song that’ll make you feel more alive by the end of the first bar — one of the best songs out there proclaiming a fierce love for the traveling life. “No Trouble Tonight” continues the pace with a meditation on what happens when there’s big trouble in little towns. As the album unfolds, though, something happens — the Bohannons transition to themes of spirituality and parenthood, transforming what at first glance was a party album into an almost psychedelic exploration of the self and the things that keep us attached to this world. Like the best drunken 2 am conversations, you’ll walk away with an appreciation for the things around you and, maybe, a wider perspective on the world.

Bohannons — Official, Facebook, Purchase from Cornelius Chapel Records

Originally posted on Adobe & Teardrops