i was first introduced to Ha Ha Tonka when they were opening up for Rocky Votolato. The high energy show they put on made me an instant fan. However i was still skeptical when i bought their album, because there has been quite a number of times where i have fallen in love with a band during their show, only to fall out when i listened to their album. Nevertheless Buckle in the Bible Belt did not disappoint.
From the album opener through the closer this album is like a book you just cannot put down. The roaring Up Night starts off the album with a bang. St Nick On The Fourth in a Fervor reels the listener in with its pounding beat and perfect harmonies. The song picks up the pace towards the middle, only to be followed by an electric organ and acoustic guitar interlude which leads into the end of the song. Gusto follows in the footsteps of the two previous songs. Falling in completely changes the pace of the album. The listener hears Brian passing the vocal duties up to Brett, who has a completely different sound to his voice. Hangman shows off the bands amazing ability to harmonize as they perform it A cappella. The rest of the album continues building upon what they were trying to do through the first five songs. The album ends with the heart warming piano balled You Lit Up the Night, which perfectly concludes the album.
With their enticing lyrics and well blended mixture of guitar, drums and bass, Ha Ha Tonka put out one of the best albums of 2006; yet know no one even noticed.
