Songs from the Porch
- Rock/Roots
- 2009
- Buy the CD
Reviewed by Lee Zimmerman
It’s admirable, then, that Scotty Don’t opted to express its individual identity via a self-titled EP two years ago and record a full-length debut, Songs from the Porch, more recently. While the title conjures up the image of a rootsy gathering fueled by fiddles, banjos and barrels of moonshine, the album reflects a more mainstream Americana, the kind of songs gleaned from playing bars, clubs and the roadhouse circuit with ever-increasing regularity. Earnest yet infectious, it demonstrates a desire to rouse the crowds and earn some cred as heartland heroes in the process. The band falls back on some familiar turf – revved-up, raspy rockers like "Back Porch" and "What I Need," the smooth grooves and reggae rhythms of "Movies on TV" and "So Easy," not to mention the prerequisite road weary troubadour’s tale "Wake Up." Fortunately, the band has enough spirit and spunk to make these styles its own, displaying an everyman stance that would feel perfectly at home performed in a neighborhood tavern for an intimate but enthusiastic following.
For the moment, Scotty Don’t may have arrived at awkward juncture, one that begs the question of whether they ought to continue their ongoing homage to Sublime, veer towards their original material, or carry on with a mixture of both. Based on the eclectic effort they provide here, it’s anyone’s guess. But whatever avenue they choose, the new album reflects an affirmative attitude, one that shows Scotty Don’t have the wherewithal to do whatever they want to do.
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