The Dustbowl Revival (Self-Titled)

-Tara

The Dustbowl Revival are a musical force to be reckoned with on their self-titled album due June 16th. With assist from Grammy Award winning producer, Ted Hutt (Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucero), the eight-piece expand, yet further refine and define, their sound all while maintaining their knack for crafting well-told story songs that both move and groove.

Straight out the gate, the band pulls no punches with the bold “Call My Name” announcing themselves with Joshlyn Heffernan’s gutsy drumming, trumpeter Matt Rubin and trombonist Ulf Bjorlin’s vibrant horns, and Liz Bebbe’s assured, soulful vocals. Beebe continues her sassy turn with the exhilarating kiss-off “If You Could See Me Now”, angles slightly sweeter on the “woo-hoo” filled, shake your hips-good time ode to the sweetheart in your life “Good Egg” and returns to a slinky sexiness on “Busted” as bassist James Klopfleisch keeps it all in line. Guitarist and vocalist Zach Lupetin teams with Bebbe on “The Story” a spirited, harmony, and trumpet (solo!) filled tune about love while “Honey I Love You” finds them joining forces with Keb' Mo, and the infectious “Gonna Fix You” is just a knock-out, guaranteed to under your skin for days (and that's a good thing).

The octet take a bit of a breather – and let stringmen Daniel Mark (mandolin) and Connor Vance (fiddle) shine – on two tracks where Lupetin takes lead: “Debtors’ Prison” a thoughtful ballad about trying to survive in current economic times and personal favorite “Got Over,” which is quite simply storytelling at its emotional finest. Things close out with swampy, striking “Leaving Time” and the jazzy extended jam of “Don’t Wait Up.”

When the eight parts combine into the whole that is The Dustbowl Revival, the result is a merging of Soul, Funk, Blues, Acoustic Roots, and more into something so dynamic your earbuds will pop – and like a firecracker the album should come with a warning label: be prepared to get down and groove. 

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