Posted on: March 2, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

I don’t like a great deal of country music. Call me uncultured or otherwise wrong, but I do not find much to appreciate in the genre. However, a band named Sway has done wonders in their “Let It Roll” to show me the inherent beauty of the style. “Let It Roll” starts off with “Cowgirl Scene”, a track that immediately shows the talent inherent in the effort of all four members of the act. However solid “Cowgirl Scene” is, the band ratchets things up considerably higher with “Let It Roll”. While each of the different tracks can be taken separately during “Let It Roll”, full enjoyment of the disc only comes when listeners hunker down and listen to the album as a whole.

“In the Hands of Love” is reminiscent of Mary Chapin Carpenter, and particularly during her “The Bug” era. However, far from being merely an act influenced by the greats, Sway really flip the script when it comes to what individuals expect from a country band. Nowhere is this more clearly shown than during the disc’s middle point, “When Love Finds Its Way”. “When Love” is one of those tracks that will bounce around listeners’ heads endlessly; the blend of instrumental and vocal components during the track create something that is much, much more than its constituent parts. During both “In the Hands of Love” and its follow-up, “I’m Over You”, Sway easily crossover into a rock domain, calling forth acts like Fleetwood Mac in the creation of some stellar music.

“More Than Enough” continues this crossover tradition, with guitar tracks eliciting a sunny demeanor as the vocals come forth as a tie-together of the Dixie Chicks and of Reba McEntire. The male vocals that are dominant during “Left Unsaid” continue to spice up the album and keep listeners focused in, while the instrumentation takes that next bold step forward in creating the best possible music. “Let It Roll” is evidence that country music can be new and fresh, and that Sway is the act that is leading the charge. Twenty-five years from now, “Let It Roll” will be seen as an album that influenced an entire generation of musicians. This bodes well for all of music.

Top Tracks: Left Unsaid, Let It Roll

Rating: 8.9/10

Sway – Let It Roll / 2008 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.swaymusic.com

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