The Lonesome Band
“Running Alone ”
Icehouse Music
Maybe it’s the self-assigned genre of “ Cosmic Country”. Maybe it’s the thin musicianship. Maybe this long dusty road has been travelled too many times for it to sound fresh. The Lonesome Band’s “Running Alone” spins in the ruts of several genres and never quite connects with any.
It’s a little bit country, not very much bluegrass, a fair amount of thrash and a sprinkling of “America, Fuck Yeah!!!”. One understands what The Lonesome Band is gunning for, and they likely sound great after five eleven tall, cool Lone Stars in their “residency” gig at Austin’s Hole In The Wall honky tonk. On record, though, “Running Alone” doesn’t deliver.
Often, there is a reedy, thin sound amidst the bombast. The band is fronted by Sam Whips Allison, a professional sound mixer. So, he should know better. Dan Johnson on pedal steel makes solid contributions as does Miguel Gilly on drums.
The tunes are standard country fare, but the guitar work is overcooked. If you are looking for three-chords-and-a-cloud-of-dust, spin J.Roddy Walston and The Business. For a bluegrass-inspired mashup, kindly check out Greensky Bluegrass or the Infamous Stringdusters. For Austin dirt rock, Vintage Trouble is a good place to start. Why abandon Los Lonely Boys when they do just fine? Alejandro Escovedo is still alive. The Lonesome Band tugs on each of these musical threads, but comes up with a crazy-quilt sound.