REVIEW - WHISKEY WAGON "Somewhere Under the Table" (2014)

Whiskey Wagon "Somewhere under the Table" Dead City Records
Release date: 3 October 2014
Running time: 37:30, 14 tracks
 

Bands that stretch the boundaries of the genre are always welcome. And whiskey soaked bands with a raucous attitude are specially the bands that I enjoy. Whiskey Wagon,  the septet from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), are one of these bands that I miss. After having released the vinyl single “Take Me Home” in 2007, Whiskey Wagon issued their debut album “Sex, Booze, Strings and Accordions” in 2010. I have been waiting for their sophomore release and finally I have got my reward in 2014: “Somewhere Under the Table”

The latest release by this Canadian outfit is a well-balanced album rooted in their North American beloved music. Is this a Celtic punk album? Not really. Is this a Folk punk album? Sure. “Somewhere Under the Table” showcases their frontman’s songwriting about losers and booze. That’s the essence of R’n’R and country music. The band has expanded from 6 members to 7 members and the result is a bunch of 14 songs on which trumpet, accordion, mandolin, upright bass  or harmonica can be heard.

I don’t know if Landon Barrowman has ever been drinking together with Shane MacGowan, but I guess that Shane is one of his inspirations when he writes his lyrics. Besides,  the shadow of The Pogues  can be felt all over the album, particularly on the trumpet arrangements. Songs such as “Grave”, “Family Store” and “Whiskey Tuesday” are catchy numbers that  can rival with those of The Pogues or Flogging Molly (especially the third one). They are kick-ass booze numbers to sing-a-long.  “Lindsey’s Gone” , “Wail” and “Scott Frolics Harmonica” are some fast-paced songs that (Celtic) folk punk fans will love too.  Apart from those songs, there are a couple of top-notch duets, the ballads  “Said You’d Love Me True” (written by Landon and Kristy Nanise) and “Jukebox” (written by Landon and Celeigh Cardinal). BTW,  an earlier version of “Said You’d Love Me True” can be found on the “AA Runaway” 3 track vinyl single that the band released in 2011. The single, whose cover is a tribute to The Clash “London Calling”,  can be bought from Bandcamp

Finally, one of my faves on the album is track no. 6, “She Dreams”. It’s a brilliant song about a girl that can be filed together with other master works such as The Men They Couldn’t Hang “Mary’s Present”, Levellers “Julie” or Oysterband “The Oxford Girl”.

Whiskey Wagon second album is delivered in a digipack enclosing a 12 page lyrics booklet. The lyrics to all of the songs and pictures of every band member are included. The design is similar to that of their previous album. That one was “black” and this one is “white”, but the fonts are the same. I have only found a small flaw. They have forgotten to state some of the credits and the line-up on the panel with the guy drinking  from his bottle of whiskey, as they did on their debut album.

“Somewhere under the Table” is a brilliant album from a Canadian band that sometimes sounds as if they were from the South of the USA. A highly recommendable album for those people who love Shane MacGowan, Johnny Cash or Tom Waits.


Tracklist:

01 - Grave
02 - Belvedere
03 - She
04 - Call Me When You Get Clean
05 - Lindsey's Gone
06 - She Dreams
07 - Family store
08 - Maryanna
09 - Said You'd Love Me True
10 - Scott Frolics Harmonica
11 - Wail
12 - Jukebox
13 - Whiskey Tuesday
14 - Bonus track

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Review by Kinksmarkham