Having visited three of the world famous American music
destinations in Nashville, Austin and Memphis, the latter of this trio was the
one with the most mystique, aura and feeling that you were experiencing
something special. 706 Union Avenue is far from the most imposing tourist
attraction but it’s within the walls that matters most to music historians, connoisseurs
and genuine fans. British skiffle/blues band The Dodge Brothers was certainly starry
eyed on their visit to Sun Studios and while many people leave with some
souvenir containing the iconic picture of the Million Dollar Quartet, they left
with the recordings that laid the foundations of their third album THE SUN SET.
Comprising of ten original tracks which the band proudly
state are self written old songs rather than new ones, The Dodge Brothers have
tuned into the spirit of Sun to re-ignite the sound that revolutionised music
in its day and has an eternal preservation label permanently attached to it. The
driving rhythm of double bass, washboard, drums, guitar et al hurtles you
through a forty minute sprint of shameless retro where you survive a ‘Trainwreck’ before reaching a ‘Wildflower’ destination.
The making of this record was captured for airing by Radio 2
last year with the Mark Goes To Memphis documentary where double bass and
harmonica player Mark Kermode used his day job presenting skills to enthuse
about the band’s passion. Along with the Hammond Brothers, Mike and Al, and the
band’s guitar/mandolin playing producing publicist Aly Hirjl, the four piece
Dodge Brothers have produced a commendable and memorable piece of unspoilt
Americana to create their small slice of the Sun legacy which exists within all
modern day exponents of rock n’ roll.
The previously mentioned track, ‘Trainwreck’ rises to the top of the rankings with its sheer power
and magnetism that certainly doesn’t derail the album. However it’s not all
frenetic offerings as ‘Strange Weather’
ambles through at a tuneful and pedestrian pace. The wonderfully titled ‘ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) Blues’
is another of the album’s peaks with an infectious beat while ‘Banker’s Blues’ opens with a flavour of
the delta sound before launching into the signature Sun tempo which took a form
of the blues into the stratosphere of commercial riches.
The album pauses for another breather with the banjo led ‘Mr Jones’ before picking up the pace on
the harmonica laced ‘Bye Bye. ‘Ghost House’ moves up the gears mid song while 'Last Highway' throbs to the beat of the road which just leaves the opening and closing tracks to consider. ‘Singled Out’ gets the album off to a flying
start with the help of a toe tapping and head shaking drum backbeat while ‘Wildflower’ sees the band bring the Sun
inspired juggernaut to a safe and almost serene ending in comparison.
Make no mistake THE SUN SET is an album to be treasured and is
a refreshing reminder of how roots music manages to remain relevant by
harnessing the past and steering it into the future. The Dodge Brothers demonstrate
a passion, desire and talent to make themselves important players in ensuring
this process thrives in twenty first century Britain.
www.thedodgebrothers.co.uk
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