Tom McBride & The Whig Party
Like a Lion
Like any good soup the flavor sets it apart from just being a bowl of soup. Tom McBride likes his with varying stocks – Midwestern rock, southern soul and vocals that deliver heart with guttural personality. McBride and band The Whig Party come on strong with Like a Lion, a rich and moody collection of reserved rock numbers that trade in excess and bombast of the rock genre for outright storytelling. Like a Lion is stark stuff, rich in imagery, the craftsmanship insistent on being atypical, and graciously more than verse-chorus-verse stuff. But for as much as McBride and his material sounds middle of the road or a little like Bruce Springsteen or Rob Ronner the group finds its own voice in serious ideas (“Cutting up L.A.”, “Fisheries & Swine”). McBride’s lyrics invade the music versus accompanying them. It’s written as a stream-of-consciousness delivery, as if recalling as much imagery to someone as fast as possible. Each song bears individuality, the album’s musicality continually morphing a little song by song. “Natchez (Southern Odyssey)” blends slide guitar and horns like a tempered Muscle Shoals recording. “Everybody Plays Their Role” strolls along just right, gentle guitar plucking and scratchy percussion layered for delicate atmosphere. Both are album highlights - more internal, more personal, standing out from the album’s core sound. Like a Lion is a reserved and focused album that isn’t interested so much on catchy numbers. McBride is adept about putting the listener on someone else’s home front.
Brian Tucker
Like a Lion
Like any good soup the flavor sets it apart from just being a bowl of soup. Tom McBride likes his with varying stocks – Midwestern rock, southern soul and vocals that deliver heart with guttural personality. McBride and band The Whig Party come on strong with Like a Lion, a rich and moody collection of reserved rock numbers that trade in excess and bombast of the rock genre for outright storytelling. Like a Lion is stark stuff, rich in imagery, the craftsmanship insistent on being atypical, and graciously more than verse-chorus-verse stuff. But for as much as McBride and his material sounds middle of the road or a little like Bruce Springsteen or Rob Ronner the group finds its own voice in serious ideas (“Cutting up L.A.”, “Fisheries & Swine”). McBride’s lyrics invade the music versus accompanying them. It’s written as a stream-of-consciousness delivery, as if recalling as much imagery to someone as fast as possible. Each song bears individuality, the album’s musicality continually morphing a little song by song. “Natchez (Southern Odyssey)” blends slide guitar and horns like a tempered Muscle Shoals recording. “Everybody Plays Their Role” strolls along just right, gentle guitar plucking and scratchy percussion layered for delicate atmosphere. Both are album highlights - more internal, more personal, standing out from the album’s core sound. Like a Lion is a reserved and focused album that isn’t interested so much on catchy numbers. McBride is adept about putting the listener on someone else’s home front.
Brian Tucker
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