Something Like Sound

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s post about punk/folk singer Chuck Ragan, we’ve got a local group along the same vein. Arliss Nancy is a Fort Collins-based band with a hard-hitting guitar section and raw vocals that have drawn comparisons to groups like Lucero. Furthermore, they’ve got just enough residual “twang” to earn some country cred, while still keeping things very rock-oriented.

Dance To Forget follows the age-old formula for punk-rock-country records. Start out a few hot burner (“Wrong or Right”) and slowly mellow things out. Along the way throw in some vaguely Springsteen-esque lyrics and delivery (“With a rusted Chevy and a broken heart” are literally some of the lyrics on “Blessings I Ain’t Never Had”). What country album would be complete without a slow-dance number? Fortunately “The Shootout” does a good job of balancing sheer blues with a marching beat that conjures up images of a bar before closing time.

Overall this is a pretty good record. Although some of the lyrics, especially the references to the Tennessee River, would definitely make you think you’re listening to a group from Memphis, not a band from Colorado. All of that said, don’t expect anything too original, but do expect a decent listen.

Stream the entire record right here (via Lala) and download it for the low low price of $5 (or free if you’re a cheap bastard) with this link.