Hometown: Nashville, TN.
The lineup: Will Stewart (vocals, lead and rhythm guitar), Jon Poor (lead and rhythm guitar), Grant Prettyman (bass), Mac Kramer (drums).
The background: Frontman Will Stewart is Willie, and lead/rhythm guitarist Jon Poor, at 6’5”, is the Giant. Glance quickly at Stewart and drummer Mac Kramer’s facial hair and you’d think you were dealing with a bunch of present-day Brooklyn/Hoxton hipsters, but actually this is beard-rock from another time, another place. They recorded their album – live to tape – at an all-analog studio called Welcome to 1979 in Nashville, although that soubriquet is a good three years out of date: their music is so pre-punk mid-70s it’s not true, all Hammond organ trills, lazy grooves, duelling guitars and soulful vocals. It’s the sort of sound that’s crying out to be played on vinyl through a hot-tube receiver and some big, boxy hi-fi speakers; the kind of rock’n’soul stew begging for phrases to be dusted down from the 70s rock-critic arsenal such as “in the pocket”, “tight” and “lick”. And “stew”.
They’re the Doobie Brothers, with extra doobies. They’re “sitting on the front porch on a Saturday afternoon with a sweaty beer music” (thank you, Farce the Music). They’re the hirsute near-relations of St Paul and the Broken Bones and Fitz and the Tantrums. They’re a band who appear to have beamed down from an episode of the Old Grey Whistle Test circa 1975, adorned with hair and flares, nodding out to their own instrumental prowess. This is a new band for people who don’t give a Flying V guitar for new bands.
It’s rock’n’soul, but they’re not poppy like Hall & Oates, they’re blue-eyed and buoyant. They don’t have anything as warmly infectious as a Lido Shuffle, although Loosen Up (deliberate obverse of famous 60s R&B single title ahoy) comes close. There are no potential hits, but they do have a set that would satisfy any bar room from Alabama to Albuquerque. Propelled by Hammond chords, Tullahoma is gently melodic, like a defanged Elvis Costello and the Attractions. On the Corner will please fans of Nils Lofgren – Stewart’s soft, high, breathy, boyish tenor cries tough. Matt Slocum – who tours and records with Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson – plays keys on just about every track on the record, and you can tell. “When we play, we really feed off of each other,” Poor says. “So this approach was perfect to capture our sound and really bring that human element to it. Most of our all-time favourite records were done live, and we wanted to emulate that. Only the dual guitar lines and the vocals were overdubbed. Outside of that, everything was live, and we’re very happy with the way it turned out.” Deeply unfashionable, but a dextrously pleasurable band of the week.
The buzz: “A double shot of vintage rock and soul.”
The truth: Their aim is true.
Most likely to: Listen to the music.
Least likely to: Take it to the streets.
What to buy: The self-titled debut LP is released on 21 April by Cumberland Brothers Music (pre-order here).
File next to: Nils Lofgren, St Paul and the Broken Bones, Fitz and the Tantrums, Boz Scaggs.
Links: willieandthegiant.com
Ones to watch: Sabella, Cameron AG, In Letter Form, Dylan Stark, Eska.
