Last American Buffalo – Marquis For The Debutante

Last American Buffalo – Marquis For The Debutante / 2007 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.virb.com/lastamericanbuffalo /

The first track on “Marquis For The Debutante” is “Breaking Up Mine”, and it shows Last American Buffalo as an act that has a style that blends together Chris Cornell’s solo work with hints of The Wallflowers and Queens of the Stone Age. “Breaking Up Mine”’s walking bass line that is present during both the chorus and individual stanzas keeps the bouncy tempo of the track intact, and gives the band that added push to make them memorable from the onset of “Marquis For The Debutante”. “Dance Class For A Madame” has a slower tempo than “Breaking UP Mine”, and it is only during the chorus that the band is able to capture some of the same catchiness that made them so endearing during “Breaking Up Mine”.

The only thing that stands out during “Dance Class For A Madame” has to be the band’s ability to arrange disparate elements of a track into something intellectual and interesting. If Last American Buffalo can go forth and link the catchiness of “Breaking Up Mine” with the intricate compositions of “Dance Class For A Madame”, the resulting music would be easily able to rocket up the charts in this, the early months of 2008. “Pistol” brings individuals back to the middle years of the nineties, where alternative music was able to mix with hints of the alt-country genre to create something simple, but drawing on something that was renowned for its complex emotional content. Throwing in a little hint of the sixties British pop adds the last piece needed to make this an odd, but ultimately fun, track. “For London Again” draws on many of the same styles and influences that have reared their heads on earlier tracks during “Marquis For The Debutante”, but adds a Cure meets “China Girl”-era Bowie set of guitars to the mix.

I don’t believe that Last American Buffalo will ever be able to conquer the radio rock or pop radio rotations, but for individuals that are a little bit more discerning about the music that they listen to, “Marquis For The Debutante” should be one of the first albums that they pick up in 2008. The hints of catchiness, linked with the intricate arrangements and dreamy lines present, make this into the total package. Last American Buffalo will undoubtedly gain followers in much the same way as The Flaming Lips or The Polyphonic Spree did in the 1990s and early 2000s. Check them out before they are the next big indie thing.

Top Tracks: Watch It Fall, Pistol

Rating: 7.3/10