Buffalo Killers – 3
Alive Naturalsound
The previous Buffalo Killers album, Let It Ride, was precariously poised on the finest of knife-edges. On one hand, their creditable throwback rock was reminiscent of Ethan Miller and his Howlin’ Rain’s soulful excellence, with their sweet melodies and poised folk-rock arrangements. On the other, the Buffalo Killers on occasion veered uncomfortably close to the execrable, cliché-ridden nonsense of ‘classic’ rock imitators Wolfmother. They are neither that good nor that bad, although 3 is a definite improvement in its warmth and restraint.
Songwriters Zach and Andy Gabbard have moved away from hulking riffs and instead seem keen to enhance their ability as crafters of songs that, admittedly, have all been heard before. The influences come thick and fast: from Neil Young and Crazy Horse to Creedence Clearwater Revival to early Aerosmith to arguably America’s finest exponents of genuine folk-infused rock in the ’60s, The Youngbloods.
But as with Howlin’ Rain, sometimes the sheer quality of the Buffalo Killers’ homage transcends its derivativeness. ‘Mountain Sally’ and ‘All Turn To Cloud’ see the Gabbards becoming accomplished balladeers, while the lovely ‘Spend My Last Breath’, in its very sincere romantic sentiments, moves them further away from any notions of overbearing rock bombast.
They have even, perhaps for the first time, looked to other junctures in pop history for inspiration. Despite its CSNY-lite title, on ‘Lily of the Valley’ there are hints of the tightness of The Shins or The Little Ones. The inspiration to be found in Laurel Canyon circa 1970 eventually runs dry for everyone, it seems.
And as the Buffalo Killers wear that sound out, it becomes clear this is no great record and that they often stretch themselves too thin. 3 is about four songs too long, with ‘Jon Jacobs’ and ‘Everyone Knows It But You’ not fit to sit alongside this album’s finest moments. If they could find the consistency to match their inoffensiveness and good taste, they would soar. Barnaby Smith
