“If you’re looking for some good ol’ bar band Americana, St. Louis’ Western States is one of the best”
Western States’ debut album, From the Center Out, delivers character driven narratives on a rotating set of country-tinged rock. At the edges of their sound are atmospheric effects and the blues. And throughout the ten song collection their performance is dynamic and skilled. On Gun Feels Heavy, they coil into a potent rock ‘n’ roll outfit as lead guitarist Sean Canan tattoos riffs on the stomping rhythm section of bassist Bryan Maness and drummer Joe Winze. They simmer and rise on Catch You Turning Around. Intricate string arrangements by violinist Mark Hochberg add sonic depth and texture across the album.
“A terrific debut from a new band that really deliver a statement of intent.”
Singer-songwriter Tim Lloyd uses the band’s skilled performances as a platform to scan the rust belt and Great Plains for characters steering their lives through internal and external struggles.
“The band clearly pulled no punches when it came to crafting this slice of heartland heaven. A genuine delight in every way.”
The opening track, Fire and Rage, establishes a thematic framework that defines the album: Self-reflection to as means to cope and carve a path through turmoil. The abstract lyricism of Fire and Rage dissipates to reveal a series of vignettes rooted in gritty realism. Mostly singing through characters, Lloyd skillfully explores the internal lives of people living far away from the nation’s elite.
“‘From the Center Out‘ features songs that fizz and crackle with electricity and songs that are subtle and restrained in their semi-acoustic form. And words which aim to fulfil Tim Lloyd’s wish to examine the cultural fault lines that have shaken the USA”
Not all the reflection leads to somber ends. On I Can Get Down, a former auto worker who was laid off during the recession is doing OK ten years later. Financially, he’s not back to where he was when he worked the line. But he’s not broke, either. Playing blackjack at a casino in Missouri, he draws a sly parallel between the state’s rules governing “riverboat casinos” and the larger economy. Years ago state law only allowed gambling on riverboats that could cruise on the water, but the casino lobby successfully changed the rules so that buildings suspended in a shallow moat near a river would qualify. The narrator knows this is yet another example of the house always winning. But life goes on, the complimentary drinks are flowing and he’s in the mood to have some fun: “I’m having a fine time/ Drinking on their dime/ Coming in here to win/ Bound to lose, by design/ There’s a game you see/ And a game you don’t/ And this riverboat casino can barely float.”
“‘From the Center Out’ is one of the finest roots-rocks records to emerge from the Midwest this year.””
Lloyd tackles everything from parenting on Rivers to Cross. The national eviction crisis on Details. And even a boxer who can’t bring himself to take a fall on The Duke. While the lyrical subject matter is often weighty, the album doesn’t bog down. Thanks to the superb production of Jason McEntire, the low end thumps, guitars howl and snare drum cracks in perfect measure.
From the Center Out closes with Fever, a buzz saw of a rock song about the stresses life can put on even the sturdiest of relationships.
“I wanted to write a love song that wasn’t about the beginning or the end,” Lloyd says. “To get at the truth of a love that lasts. How it changes, how it ebbs and flows, how it goes through periods of doubt and renewal. And how ultimately having a connection with someone that’s strong enough to withstand all these stages is, in my mind, what gives life meaning. It’s what makes the hard times worth it.”
Lloyd doesn’t imply that things will ultimately work out. Or that the work to maintain a deep, human connection will ever be complete. It’s a fitting end for an album that isn’t pollyannaish about the difficult task of holding onto one’s values and relationships amid constant pressure. Yet there’s hope to be found. Hope in the notion that there are beliefs and relationships worth fighting for. Hope in the idea that we are capable of doing so despite the odds. Hope in, as Lloyd sings on Fire and Rage, “Stumbling through the wreckage/ Working through the night/ Deconstructing darkness/ Picking at the seams, and pulling out the light.”
Album Credits
All songs written by Tim Lloyd
Members
Sean Canan: Lead guitar and vocals
Joe Winze: Drums, percussion and vocals
Bryan Maness: Bass
Tim Lloyd: Vocals and guitar
Mark Hochberg: Violin
Brian Kasmarzik: Keyboards
With
Dave Grelle
Hammond B3, electric piano, piano
Paul Niehaus IV
Piano and Hammond B3
Brent Maness
Backing vocals on track 3
Arrangements by Sean Canan, Joe Winze, Bryan Maness and Tim Lloyd
Produced by Tim Lloyd
Recorded and mixed by Jason McEntire at Sawhorse Studios
Additional recording by Paul Niehaus IV at Blue Lotus.
Mastering by Brad Sarno at Blue Jade