Album Cover
Truth & Salvage Co.
“Truth & Salvage Co.”
May 2010; Silver Arrow/Megaforce Records
By Emily J Ramey
Click Here to See the Published Version on American Music Channel
With Black Crowes’ frontman Chris Robinson producing their debut in addition to an opening slot on both The Crowes’ and The Avett Brothers’ most recent headlining tours, Truth & Salvage Co. seems destined for big things. And as a six-man Americana rock band, they have some pretty distinctive chops to offer the music scene as well.
Prior to their conception, members of T&SC performed and collaborated with well-known acts like The Moldy Peaches, Ben Folds Five, Jack Johnson, The Squirrel Nut Zippers, and My Morning Jacket. But after a few casual late-night jam sessions at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, vocalist/guitarist Scott Kinnebrew, vocalist/guitarist Tim Jones, vocalist/drummer Bill “Smitty” Smith, vocalist/keyboardist Walker Young, bassist Joe Edel, and keyboardist Adam Grace were convinced of their collective creative potential.
Truth & Salvage Co. gets plenty of Eagles references, as well as frequent comparisons to The Band, Gram Parsons, The Allman Brothers, and even The Rolling Stones, but the truth is that despite their bold 70s alt-country roots and influences, the band’s work is robustly unique. Exploring thematically everything from freedom to love to love lost, T&SC’s self-titled debut rings insightful and passionate on all accounts, and paired with the members’ electric vitality and hearty melodies, Truth & Salvage Co. is a must-have for one’s summer soundtrack.
“Hail Hail,” the album opener, rapidly becomes a contagiously anthemic tune, with balmy harmonies and chummy lyrics like, “Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here/With their heads full of reefer and their bellies full of beer/Sixteen years of livin’ the dream/We’re the pride of all our families.” The current single “Call Back” is a warm, organ-rich ballad, complete with dynamic instrumentals and a generous melody. “Welcome to LA” ironically twangs a little more eagerly than other tracks, but in a Beach Boys (not Randy Travis) sort of way.
“See Her” begins brightly with a sweaty, Allman Brothers-ish guitar riff and finishes with Dylan-esque heartbreak saturating the lyrics. “Old Piano” smolders and curls upward like blue-grey smoke on a humid night. The antique piano complements Katy Perry’s guest vocals in a resonantly melancholy fashion. “101” is a dusty and subtle second-listen gem; “Rise Up” boasts a fantastically tight guitar-riddled instrumental section. And album closer (and my personal favorite) “Pure Mountain Angel” is chillingly poignant, with lines striking an agonizingly humanistic core: “He was a drifter, farmer, and a singer./Had stories to tell, but he kept ‘em to himself ‘cause he knew that nobody would understand the anger./He asked for this living of concrete and wealth, singing ‘hi-de-hey,’ let the walls tumble in.”
T&SC has assembled a collection of full-flavored lyrical marvels, and on top of that, has powered these tunes with swampy instrumentals and spirited performances. As a debut album, Truth & Salvage Co. is a wonder, but more importantly, a stepping stone. Keep a sharp eye for these boys; I feel an Americana revival a-brewin’.
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