The Yawpers are well on their way to being your favorite band. Their association with Bloodshot Records makes comparisons to Scott H. Biram a given but The Yawpers have a full band behind their sound. Biram is pretty rowdy by himself and The Yawpers up the ante on “American Man.”

The record is aggressive and unashamed. It has punk sensibilities but was conceived on a back porch, the twang is unescapable but when the band twirls into a slide guitar romp like on “Kiss It” you won’t be trying to classify them as county for long. They sound like a 70s arena rock band on “9 to 5” and prove they can tie their melodic songs to their aggressiveness. They channel a little Ryan Adams on steroids for “Tied” where they practice their sing lyrics/shout chorus technique. One of the most distinguishing things about this group is the sound of lead singer Nate Cook’s vocals, not particularly his singing voice but more his shouting voice. Some singers just sound great when they yell their way through parts of songs, this is one of the big keys to the Foo Fighters’ success. The pedal isn’t always on the throttle though, on “American Man” you’ll find the band slowing it down and embracing what is great about country music. The band works hard on dynamics in their songs and it obviously pays off. They are also putting a fresh spin on the “americana” genre, they aren’t the first to do it but they are one of many pulling it in a new direction.

Key Tracks: “Tied” “Kiss It” “9 to 5”