I knew when I first heard Sourloon perform live and they covered a Jethro Tull song that I was going to become a fan of their music. I’ve not only seen this band perform many times, but they have become friends. I was excited to hear a couple months ago that an album was on the way and just recently was privileged to be the first person to buy it. I can’t talk about the album without telling you a little about the band.
The band has been together for about 10 years. Two of the members, Frank (drums) and Bernie (lead guitar) are founding members. The band currently consists of two other members, Justin (vocals and guitar) and Mark (bass). I had to ask where they got the name Sourloon. Bernie laughed and told me it was what came out when a drunken person tried to say “saloon”. The name just stuck. I didn’t think to ask who was the drunken person attempting to say saloon.
They recorded their album, “Kickin On The Way Down”, and practice in “Bunker Studios”, aka Bernie’s garage. They told me that recording their own album was a learning experience. Frank said, “You think there is a limit, but you can always keep learning”, and in their case playing.
The album has been in the works for roughly 4 years. As with most things, COVID did play a part in how long it took to get together. They all played a part in creating the songs on the album. And each of them was very quick to point out not their own contribution, but the other people’s contributions. Bernie was the musical genius behind the guitar riffs. Justin, aka Mr Perfection, was the mastermind that did a lot of the arrangement. All four of them collaborated in writing the lyrics.
When I asked their musical influences it was hard for them to point to just a couple. We probably could have spent the evening just talking about that subject alone. Some of the genres they mentioned were grunge, classic rock and alternative 70’s and 80’s music. Two of the groups among the long list of others that were mentioned were Genesis and Tool. When I listen to their album, I can definitely hear a little of all of it. What I personally love about this particular album is that unlike some artists, each track has it’s own sound and style. I find this refreshing in that I find myself looking forward to what’s coming next. We did talk a little about a couple of the songs on the album.
The song “TooMucha” was Sourloon’s shot at old age and trying to make a mark. It talks about not leaving the world quietly. The hard hitting beat and driving guitar riffs emphasize the point of not going down quietly. Another song, “Mr Nobody” almost didn’t make the cut. Nobody in the band, except Frank, wanted to do the song. Every time they would practice though, Frank would push for them to rehearse it. Eventually it got to the point where they all agreed it should be on the album. They compared the song to something you would hear on a spaghetti western. Some of you may not know that term, but if you look up some of Clint Eastwood’s early westerns, that is where the term came from. Most of those movies were made in Europe and were produced and directed by Italians. I personally don’t picture the music sounding like that era, but could definitely picture it in a western made today.
I don’t know if I could pick a favorite song off of this album. Each of the songs as I mentioned earlier have a totally different sound. It would really depend on what mood I was in when listening to it. As with any music review, I have Sourloon’s album playing while I am writing. The song that I keep going back to this afternoon is “Comatose State”. But on other days it’s been a different song. I really encourage you to support this local talent and purchase the album for yourself. I know you won’t be disappointed.
But I know most people like to try something before they buy. Well you are in luck as you can hear it on Spotify. And if you are looking for a good way to spend an evening, you can come to hear Sourloon play on March 18th at the Manor Legion for their release party. Not only are they playing, but they also have some pretty awesome company taking the stage. I’d recommend following them on Facebook to keep up with what they are doing and also to purchase your own copy of their new release.