Spayed Koolie release Ashtray Change
BANDCAMP: https://spayedkoolie.bandcamp.com/album/ashtray-change
When it comes to making a full length record as opposed to just a single or an extended play, it can be quite challenging producing an album that can cohesively flow and play like a singular piece of art without falling into the pitfalls of monotony and becoming, essentially, one giant never ending song. I’ve seen it play out a lot, especially for newer artists who are struggling to get their foot in the door of the business on top of finding their true sound as a performer. Bands are even harder.
With bands we see a lot of trouble getting each individual mind on the same page at the same time while also fending off a lot of ego issues and the constant possibility of megalomaniacal attitudes potentially sabotaging the entire project. It’s just different when you get to this level, this stage in your career where demo tapes and catchy songs just aren’t enough to keep it going anymore. The audience demands more from them, and to be frank, by that point we can expect that the legit ones are demanding more from themselves (and in the case of bands, each other). A great example of a young band doing everything the right way and making some pretty excellent music in the process can be found in Spayed Koolie’s stellar new LP Ashtray Change, which is beginning to pick up some strong momentum. Like all classic albums, country or otherwise, Ashtray Change is a collection of exclusive looks into the psyche and persona of the band and composers that Spayed Koolie really are when the studio is shut and the stage lights have gone dark. While each song is wildly different from its closest counterpart both aesthetically and in their presentation, everything flows evenly together, even occasionally spilling over into each other like a progressive rock album, albeit one devoid of all the annoying pomp and bravado that makes most prog albums absolutely impossible to consume all at once in a single sitting. They’ve got all of the mad energy of a fun summer barbecue contained between two headphone speakers, and in at a single moment’s notice, we can be transported to their laid back, relaxed view of the world from the southeastern tip of our fine country. That isn’t just talent, that’s flat out magic to experience in complete, full color stereo.
As compositely efficient as Ashtray Change is, don’t get the idea that this record plays out like a greatest hits album, because honestly nothing could be further from the truth. This is optimistic, forward thinking country music that was made for the here in now in America, and as a longtime fan of the genre, I can tell you that this is something us hardcore folk have been chasing after for far too long now, and it’s high times that we appreciate finally having a real champion of southern rock once more.
MIndy McCall
