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Riverboat Gamblers

Underneath The Owl  Hear it Now

RS: 3of 5 Stars

2009

Play View Riverboat Gamblers's page on Rhapsody

On their fourth album, these Austin punks sound like seasoned road warriors who've put their livers through the wringer but haven't lost their tenacity, their brains or their gift for melody. Adrenalized cuts like "Keep Me From Drinking" bank on Rancid riffs and big, join–in choruses that can stick in your brain, while fluid guitars, vibraphone and lap steel pop up on several subtler cuts. Some of the tunes slip into vague kvetching: On "Pilgrims in an Unholy Land," Mike Wiebe yowls about "hash marks" and "stretch marks" without giving you much of a hook or an idea of what he's talking about. But the tenderhearted rave–up "Victory Lap" combines the best of Against Me! and the Replacements.



CHRISTIAN HOARD

(Posted: Mar 17, 2009)

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