Product Description

The second release from this eccentric Portland, Oregon six-piece. A roots-rock band that is as likely to draw inspiration from The Beach Boys and Warren Zevon as they are from Merle Haggard or Gram Parsons. Jangly pop, gut-bucket country, urban folk, 60's psychedelia and straight up rock all meet in a mid-air collision, creating a sound that has been called West Coast Roots. This is a band with a big heart capable of severe extremes. Smoky vocals grapple with soaring 4 part harmonies, keyboards tangle with overdriven guitar, pedal steel bends around an acoustic 6-string, drums irreverently confuse country and rock, all recalling something achingly familiar yet distinctively singular. Above it all the strong, emotionally incisive songwriting and beautiful melodies shine through with all the rough edges intact.

Track Listing

1. Fall Hard
2. Don't Get So Heavy
3. Juanita
4. Dirty Old Waltz
5. Mexican Blanket
6. She's Happy
7. Heart of Rome
8. Come to Bed
9. Burden
10. Something New
11. If You Fall

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #125460 in Music
• Released on: 2008-05-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .19 pounds

Review
Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags brought a unique sound to SXSW. I was impressed by their harmonies, stage presence and blend of influences. Hope they come back to Austin soon! --Colin Gilmore

Customer Reviews

Americana roots meets West Coast rock
Though this Portland, Oregon sextet bills itself as an Americana band, that title sells short the complexity of their sophomore CD. Barr's vocals have a gravelly edge, and the pedal steel-and-piano of "Dirty Old Waltz" and two-step rhythm of "Fall Hard" certainly merit the alt.country tag. But the guitar interplay of "Fall Hard" brings to mind vintage Allman Brothers, the melody of "Don't Get So Heavy" has the pop majesty of Badfinger, and the playful introduction and vocal harmonies of "Juanita" resound with the complex constructions of late-60s West Coast pop. Barr's rough-and-tumble voice fits as easily on the Dylanesque guitar-and-harmonica "Mexican Blanket" as on the hot-picked-meets-power-pop "She's Happy." The latter neatly ties together the band's country and rock sides. Barr's lyrics are often poetically opaque, with his mood showing more through melody and timbre. "Come to Bed" suggests that the past can be remembered but not resurrected and seems to be an elegy to nostalgia. "The Burden" celebrates one more night of revelry before tomorrow's unconvincingly promised reform. Fans of the Wilco and Brian Wilson will each find something to like here. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]