Well I'm acquiring it as we speak, so I should be able to give you my thoughts during the next few days (hopefully, because I'll be leaving town for a week or so in the coming days).
I've sort of grown off of southern metal cuz a lot of bands just always seem to have an obvious faux southern badass attitude but I'll check this out. Are the riffs cool at least?
Big Dad Rich won't ever win the Pullitzer Prize in literature. Hell, he won't even be nominated for the super extended longlist for best collection of poetry in the smallest Texas sh*thole. But he sounds so damn convincing it makes you believe he believes every single word he belts out over those southern metal grooves. It's one of the main reasons I like this album (and their first one) way more than I probably ought to.
Thanks man. You're definitely right. Big Dad Ritch is convincing as hell and that's the key to this band's credibility. Also, the fact they improved their song craft is important for me. The choruses are just massive on these songs. Take the title track for example.
I definitely like the stoner groove in the title track. But my favorites (for the moment) would be Hands Up (the drive), Outlaw (the nod to Skynyrd) and Paw Paw Hill (cool use of acoustic guitar). Turn It Up and especially Think of Me are -imho- one step too far in their search for melody. If they could fill those small holes in the road next time around, it would really be a hammer.
Think Of Me is a great ballad imo, but I agree Turn It Up isn't one of the best things they've written. I'd also add Sex and Drugs and Rock'n'Roll to the highlights. Once again, a very strong refrain and generally a darker take on a rock anthem. Don't Come Lookin' also stands out, not only because of its country influence. It's a really well-written Southern rock track.
