Gallon Drunk — From The Heart Of The Town
After the shambling often thundering and drunken glory of their first album; you, the Night....And The Music, From the heart of the town finds the band varying and layering up their instrumental texturing with out losing any of their drunken and fired-up dingy late hours vibe, but adding in more atmospheric and approachable moments too. This feels more English and gritty then the first album too, they’ve taken the sleazy Americana influences and dragged them through the gutters and neo shimmer puddles of London. With Terry Edwards weaving his sleazed jazzy horn work more often through the shuddering streets of guitar, bass and percussion, along with smoky dashers of organ tone and shambling yet melodic piano work.
There are stabs here at more downbeat stripped work with the quivering bass lines meets skeleton piano runs and female backing chorus of You should be ashamed . There’s also more approachable pop type material too like; Loving Alone which feels like the Tindersticks on a buoyant night out meeting shimmering surf guitars and 50’s cinematic organ risers. Or the staggering ballard of Keep moving on with it’s tight piano hits, maraca touchers and James Johnston sleazy and sneering barroom bartone.
As for the extra tracks we get four b sides which are on par to the album released tracks and four pumped up and smoking live renditions off stuff off their debut album. Though their first album had it’s go for the throat drunkenly vibe and charm From the heart of the town is a much more varied, atmospheric, focused and consistent ride.