American Scarecrows “Yesteryear”

Maybe it’s because we do so many reviews, but when we read the comment in American Scarecrows Bio that “We spend so much time dissecting music and pondering what the point in making it is that we sometimes forget that people merely create music because it brings them joy” it really resonated. It’s great to hear a band who are primarily making music they enjoy, and that is very clear from this trio’s new album.
With the first song “Peak” we get a traditional Americana track which slowly merges in to a more foot stomping country rocker. The baton is then firmly picked up by the bar room rock n roll of “Cheshire”. There’s even a hint of cowbell in it and it makes you feel like cracking open a beer and possible buying some cowboy boots. Jesus, by the time you’ve finished “North Country”, you’ll be buying the hat as well!!
The pace slows down a touch for “Gods of the West” which has a brilliant, laid back, good times, feeling. The same could be said for “All She Can Say” which has a bigger, more arena rock feel to it. This is taken to an even higher level on the excellent “Dreamers” which adds more of a power pop rock style that recalls Cheap Trick. These songs nicely contrast with the banjo driven folk of “Devil On My Shoulder”.

Having reached a mid-album peak the band then give the listener a break with the slow and tender “300 Flowers” before gradually picking up the pace on “The Uncertainty”. The album then ends on a real high with “Outskirts (Buried In The Sound)”. It concludes the album on a more up-tempo beat and adds a more alternative punch to the song.

There can be no doubt that the band’s name choice is a very wise one. There is definitely an air of good old country rock to their sound and they are very American! That’s not to say it won’t work for us over here in the UK. We are equally capable of cracking open a few beers whilst enjoying a bit of country flavoured rock. Although, sadly, we will just have to dream of glorious, hazy summer evening on the back porch, which is probably the ideal environment in which to really soak up these tunes.