The emotive guitar work that begins Pink Champagne will be immediately amenable to fans of The Wallflowers or the Counting Crows. The blend of funk, soul, and other rock styles alongside the sheer vocal intensity brought to each track will create a legion of fans. This trend is something that continues through the bulk of Pink Champagne; Face Down In The Gutter ratchets up the gritty sound considerably. Hints of Appetite for Destruction-era Guns N Roses come forth, while there is a pit-worthy sound to the overall instrumentation that contains equal parts 1980s-Goo Goo Dolls, Cult, and even Buckcherry. Livin and Lovin keeps things interesting through a funk meets jazz interlude that immediately precedes the vocals.
The track will tattoo its melodies upon the minds and hearts of any listener, as the repetition present in the track is used for maximum effect. No Way Back is the perfect example of a late-disc track that contributes substantially to the overall feel of the track. There is a laid-back, wind in one’s hair feel to the track that will take listeners away to a completely different mind state. There is a trend with a number of current bands that manifests itself to the creation of an album that absolutely peters out toward the end of its run time.
Pink Champagne is the rare example of a title that maintains momentum throughout all sides and sectors; there is nary a weak track that can be found on this title. Make sure to pick up a copy of this album if you have not already, and make however long of a sojourn it may be to see Black Earth play live. I have no doubt that the intensity that they bring to a live stage would far outstrip that even captured onto CD.
Top Tracks: Dear Lady Lean, She Don’t Want It
Rating: 8.1/10
Black Earth – Pink Champagne (CD) / 2011 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/blackearth