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The Yawpers - American Man

American Man brings to mind Grand Funk Railroad's '(We're An) American Band' and that level of patriotism and love of country is a unifying theme throughout album number two by Boulder, Colorado's The Yawpers. The fact they take their name from a Walt Whitman poem though amply points up the fact that theirs isn't merely some goodtime, flag waving, Bill & Ted style celebration of their home and what it means to come from there. Considerations a la Springsteen are more what the trio are about.

This may only be their second album (after just three years together) but they've a clear idea of what they like about where they come from and what they dislike about both home and the impact that place has on the wider world. Delivered at a pace you'd associate more with metal acts, their dual acoustic guitars battle and bludgeon away whilst the drums are hammered on by Noah Shomberg and Nate Cook's raw vocals clamber atop and through the music.

Opening track 'Doing It Right' is a searing beginning to the record, with some fantastic slide guitar work from Jesse Parmet. Starting off slow and then springing the driving riffs and pounding drums on the listener is the band's favoured style, allowing each song to build (some for longer than others) up to a pitch of righteous indignation, joyful abandon or what have you before running off at speed and dragging you along for the ride.

Eighteenth century Edinburgh councillor and burglar Deacon Brodie (albeit with a surname spelling change) bizarrely appears to get a song to himself mid-way through the album. Possibly as a plea to understand the duality of the nature of the individual concerned, his nights being that much different from his days.

All in this is an assured release from a fresh act who, unfortunately, don't look to be touring the UK or Europe anytime soon but they should be checked out once that's remedied in 2016.

American Man is available from amazon & iTunes.   

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