By Ken Paulson
Press releases promoting Butchers Blinds’ Destination Blues (Paradiddle Records) emphasize influences like Uncle Tupelo, the Hold Steady and even the Replacements, but those comparisons largely escape me.
This band from Bellerose, New York, plays a highly accessible brand of rock and country, melding strong melodies with intriguing themes.
“Nobody Hears What I Say Anymore” is about dashed dreams, and surprisingly, sounds like David Crosby and Graham Nash. “OPP” is an energetic rocker that would have been at home on a Gin Blossoms record. Other tracks bring Tom Petty to mind.
The common denominator, though, is disciplined and focused songwriting, and that bodes well for this promising band.
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