Album Review: Devils Elbow Sand On Chrome

Devils Elbow's, <i>Sand on Chrome</i> album cover. Photo / Supplied

Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A new and smokin' hot take on country.

Two guys from Hawkes Bay channelling everything from Springsteen and spaghetti westerns to the Clash and the devil himself (like on the meandering AC/DC-meets-country groove of Infectious) makes for a dusty and delightful rock 'n' roll album. Made up of core duo singer/guitarist Alec Withers and drummer/singer Andrew Gladstone (formerly of Garageland) - who play Orca in Raglan on Friday and Auckland's Thirsty Dog on Saturday with a full band - Devils Elbow has a down-home, laid-back charm that makes it immediately irresistible. However, importantly, Sand On Chrome, which was mixed and mastered by the late Ian Morris of Th' Dudes, still bristles with attitude, be it the inspired drunken brass bursts on Shotgun, the cool, striding swagger of opener Brainstorm; or the gritty recklessness of last track The Hard Part.

Then there's the alluring flipside of songs like the title track, which has a powerful tranquility as a stripped-back guitar, vocal and drum ditty; When You're On Top is a traditional folksy duet with singer Sarah Wiig; and Case In Point starts out as the most friendly of all - almost mainstream country rock - but midway through it takes off into a smouldering and spiralling wall of guitar (similar to fellow Napier band Jakob).

The thing that's striking about Devils Elbow is that they essentially play country rock, but with the many other inspirations thrown in they come up with a unique and catchy homegrown brew.

-TimeOut