Zebulon

on Chambers' blue-collar rasp may warrant comparisons to Bruce Springsteen, but the haunting, backwoods rock & roll that permeates Zebulon is more closely aligned with the distorted country-rock of the Drive-By Truckers. Appropriately, DBT frontman Patterson Hood lends his help to the effort, co-producing the entire album while adding backing vocals to a pair of songs. Brimming with muscled guitar riffs, twang, and fiery mesquite melodies, Zebulon is a passionate record, one that confronts the hardships of the South with an angry swagger. Yet the album is also lush, foregoing the ramshackle, breakneck pace of cowpunk bands in favor of a sound that crackles and burns. Chambers' hefty baritone is placed front and center, his melodies booming with reverb during tracks like "Paint the Moon," while Hood's production captures a veritable swamp of guitars, pedal steels, and swirling organs. "Highwater" is the highlight here, a slow-building mixture of harmonies and piano chords that eventually gives way to a guitar-filled catharsis, but Zebulon remains solid throughout. ~ Andrew Leahey|