JC Autobody
Young Tobacco
(Young Tobacco Records)
Honestly, as a reviewer, I sort of hate writing about rock bands these days. Not that I hate the genre or anything, but with the trend over the last few years of bands wearing funny “old school” clothes and playing songs that sound like their parents’ record collection, it all just feels stale and forced. It is for this reason that I thank God for bands like JC Autobody.
The thing about this band that really caught my attention initially is the fact that they seem to truly “get” what makes a bad ass rock n’ roll album. Rather than relying on writing their own variation of Deep Purple, Boston and Led Zeppelin riffs, their riffs are groovier and just sort of feel more genuine. What I mean by that is, on the opening track “Hammer Down”, that main riff that grooves through the whole song just feels absolutely perfect and isn’t derivative or watered down. The whole album is full of those riffs though, really. On “Got Your Number”, they sort of just use this bluesy chug that is incredibly enchanting. They also utilize a similar bluesy chug on “Dancing In The Fire” that is coupled with a foot-stomping rhythm that absolutely kills.
The beautiful thing about this album though, is how it bounces around between aggressive, bluesy stompers to songs that are similar to White Zombie one minute and The White Stripes the next. Though the band is still relatively underground, their amazing mixture of classic rock, blues, and sludge is a refreshing take on the genre and Young Tobacco is an album that should be on your radar immediately! (Brandon Ringo)
