The Vegabonds - Sinners And Saints

25-11-2021

The Vegabonds are a Nashville-based American New South Rock band from Alabama, United States. The Vegabonds have released a new album "Sinners and Saints" via Blue Elan and have also unveiled a new video for single, "Heartache and a Memory" that takes their live play in new directions. The album shows serious songwriting chops from the band as a whole and also from individual songwriters, including Daniel Allen, Ross Beasley, and Beau Cooper. The varied and blended sound elements on the album also suggest a wealth of creativity that comes from band-wide input in musical traditions. We spoke with lead songwriter and vocalist Daniel Allen about the creative landscape that gave rise to the new album and why the album title and title track "Sinners and Saints" really does make a statement about the band's identity as they process their roots. Produced by Grammy-nominated Tom Tapley [Mastodon, Blackberry Smoke], who did the honors on the last two Vegabonds releases, the determinedly upbeat Sinners and Saints expands the group's southern rock pallet and jam band pedigree to explore funky, keyboard-driven blues-pop in first single, "Can't Deal" before reaching new limits with the intersection of country, soul and rock in "Heartache and a Memory," and even some Fleetwood Mac-style grooves in "Feels Right", the latter a co-write from their close friend and songwriter and jack-of-all-trades Ross "Brother" Beasley. It was in May of last year that The Vegabonds recorded their last new music, a live EP, recorded during the first full-band live stream to take place during lockdown. After a two-month quarantine, this was the first time the quintet was able to play together, making it the longest span of time the band had gone in a decade, without playing a show or even being in the same room together. The result, The Vegabonds Live from West End Sound, was released this past March. Their last studio album, "V", was released in early 2019 to much critical acclaim with 'Popmatters' declaring, "... the album fires on all cylinders with a combustible combination of tub-thumpin' alt-country, searing rock riffs and robust but heartfelt lyrics that will help ease the pain." While The Deli Nashville said of the new music, "... Fans of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, the Allman Brothers, or Springsteen will rave about V ..." The Alabama-born, Tennessee-bred Southern rock band, The Vegabonds got their start in Alabama, after meeting while attending Auburn University in 2009 and playing the college circuit across the Southeastern United States. Their popularity quickly burgeoned to the point where they found their fans singing along word-for-word to their first hits like "Georgia Fire" and "Shaky Hands." From Ole Miss to South Carolina, students buzzed about The Vegabonds' authentic sound and their seemingly effortless ability to bring the house down. Through word of mouth, the group's fan base rapidly grew, and the guys learned they had something distinctive with their eclectic mix of Southern Rock, Country, and earnest songwriting. One attribute that I particularly value in people is reliability. When it comes to music, the Vegabonds are a good example. The Alabama-based quintet, now based in Nashville, consists of Daniel Allen (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Beau Cooper (keys, vocals), Richard Forehand (electric guitar, vocals), Paul Bruens (bass) and Bryan Harris (drums ) in this constellation delivers consistently and regularly good southern rock food of the more modern kind. The Vegabonds, of course, used the pandemic to get themselves into position in terms of album technology, but the majority of the songs for their new album "Sinners And Saints", the second on the indie label Blue Élan Records, had already been created. Grammy-winning producer Tom Tapley ( Blackberry Smoke , Sugarland , Tyler Farr ) was again at the control buttons . To come to the point : a great work ! As always in the last few years (in 2017 we even had the pleasure of seeing them live in the Krefeld Kulturrampe), the songs, all of which are melodic and very varied, are again dominated by Daniel Allen's pleasant singing and the decisive designs and Inputs from Beau Cooper's varied keys (in all conceivable variations) as well as Richard Forehand's filigree electric guitar playing, which stands for the band's typical Southern note. On the new long player you go through a real trough of waves. The opening is after a psychedelic short intro by "Juke And Jive" with a really swampy Southern Rock stomper, who will bring the genre fan base right up to operating temperature. The immediately following "Ain't Giving Up" then skilfully drifts into roots-rocking realms of the brands John Mellencamp , Will Hoge or Tom Petty , including moody-howling oohooo harmony chants. The southern-soul mega-catchy tune "Can't Deal" ( Atlanta Rhythm Sections "Spooky" brand ) heralds a four-piece, quieter phase, which thanks to Beau Cooper's Donald Fagon-like e-piano, but with interesting, subtle Steely Dan ("Heartache And A Memory", "Sinners And Saints") and Simple Minds ("Feels Right") vibes come along, but are still held by Forehand's excellent guitars in southern spheres. With "Burnout" the curve to rock style is brought back. This track, as well as "Out Of My Hands" and "Wings And Prayers", like at the beginning, serve the taste of Roots friends, influences from Mellencamp, Hoge and Petty (with "Burnout" also subtly Springsteen ) are unmistakable. However, the finish belongs to Southern Rock again. The crashing "Colorado Evergreen" sounds like a proper cooperation between the Black Crowes with 38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd and the final "Leo Fender" pays homage to the achievements of the famous musical instrument maker in rock music in a wonderful beer mood. Great at the end of the "God bless Leo Fender" crowd chants that encourage you to shout along. And if I praised reliability as a positive quality at the beginning, one would also like to add modesty as another human quality of the band: "Our goal has always been to turn this band into a lifelong career. We're not rock stars. We're a bunch of middle-class kids who want to provide for our families by doing what we love to do. " "We are five friends who love writing and playing music together. But more importantly, we are brothers that have been through more than a decade of ups and downs together and still have a passion to bring out love of what we do to the world. We know nothing comes easy, and good things take time. "So bassist Paul Bruens and singer Daniel Allen in statements about the intention to continue making music in this constellation. We think, however, that there is no reason to put his light under a bushel. With "Sinners And Saints", The Vegabonds have just conceived an album rich in variations, which will consolidate or expand their standing in the field of young New Southern Rock. Similar to Robert Jon & The Wreck , it is time to step out of the shadow of the great, still existing representatives. Clearly their strongest work so far, absolute buy recommendation.

1 Juke And Jive Written-By - D. Allen, R. Forehand 3:20

2 Ain't Giving Up Written-By - D. Allen 3:16

3 Can't Deal Written-By - B. Cooper 3:12

4 Heartache And A Memory Written-By - B. Cooper, D. Allen, R. Forehand 2:55

5 Feels Right Written-By - R. Beasley 4:20

6 Sinners And Saints Written-By - B. Cooper, D. Allen 4:43

7 Burnout Written-By - D. Allen, F. Gene Courtney, R. Forehand 4:02

8 Out Of My Hands Written-By - B. Cooper 2:40

9 Wings And Prayers Written-By - B. Cooper, R. Beasley 3:02

10 Colorado Evergreen Written-By - B. Cooper, B. Harris, D. Allen, P. Bruens, R. Forehand 3:36

11 Leo Fender Written-By - R. Beasley 2:55

Bass - Paul Bruens