For a duo, 20 Watt Tombstone make hell of a racket. This is a short and sweet release, seven songs that for the main rock in around the 3:30 mark, and the first album the band has released for a while. In fact, their only previous full-length, Wisco Disco is over eight years old now.
They’re a truly interesting band. With plenty of slide guitar in the mix, the band pack a punch that sees them hammer down riffs, throw in the Southern blues, all delivered with that true grit and dirt under the fingernails.
Frontman Tom Jordan has a voice that could turn milk but also melt hearts if you were so inclined. He soars, gravel throated, throughout this album in an easy and natural style that works so well with everything else he does. The guitar groove lingers long, from the raucous opening song “Prophet Man”, with it’s Clutch style vibe, through to the cover of ZZ Top’s “Just Got Paid”, and final song “Magnolia”.
Such is the dynamic delivery of the band, it’s just impossible to avoid tapping the foot as they carve out anthem after anthem. It’s cool, hip, and utterly absorbing. The preaching element of “Prophet Man” allow you to focus on the meaning within the song, whilst all the time enjoying the overall stoner riffs and relaxed, confident style that make this release so enjoyable.
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Much of what 20 Watt Tombstone do is simple. The chunky riffs and percussion that rip out during “Chosen Few” works in total harmony, whilst the hook on “Bomb That Saved the Day” is such that you’ll be humming it hours later. There’s the sheer joy of the driving power of “Black Top Sorrow” which demands you move to it, and the chunky, jerky patterns of “Midnight Train to Memphis”. All work beautifully in their own right but combined here they generate enough electricity to power a small town. It may be simple, but there’s an addictive quality to this album that isn’t likely to dissipate. Sit back with a cold one and enjoy one of the most relaxed yet intense releases of 2023.
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The Chosen Few is out on October 20th
Check out all the bands we review in 2023 on our Spotify and YouTube playlists!
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