Saturday, May 21, 2022

LEFT ARM TAN - UNDEFEATED


ROUTES & BRANCHES
featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
May 21, 2022
Scott Foley, purveyor of exceptions

Listen to Left Arm Tan, then tell me what you hear. Over the years, I've repeatedly compared the Texas outfit to Reckless Kelly, Sons of Bill and Will Hoge. While I continue to stand behind those opinions, I don't think I've written nearly as much about those more established artists as I've written about Left Arm Tan. Beginning with 2013's Alticana, followed by Lorene, El Camino and 2020's self-titled collection, their gritty alt.country was steadily polished into a pearl of tuneful working class rock. 

Undefeated speaks to Left Arm Tan's commitment to expanding the borders of their sound without losing track of their melodic roots calling card. Working for the first time with onetime Wilco drummer Ken Coomer as producer, there are new shades and accents teased out of their songs. The resulting collection is lean and efficient, beholden more to songcraft than to genre or to what's come before. 

By comparison, 2016's Lorene boasted a sprawling sixteen cuts. Left Arm Tan reportedly sent more than twice as many song ideas to Coomer, a ball of sound which the producer untangled to reveal the eight tunes we have on Undefeated (it's apparently his rule that no LP exceed that number). As a result, the collection is direct. Every music gesture sounds purposeful. 

The title track balances a road-warrior spirit with a recognition of the toll taken by the tigers in the trees. "Undefeated" isn't so much a rallying cry as it is a statement of faith in our readiness for one more swing. Nothing on the record repeats the go-for-broke message of earlier Left Arm Tan. Instead the diverse lineup of songs cruise on a more deliberate tempo, reflecting a wiser approach to life in general. "Undefeated" drops Petty references both musical and lyrical: I can taste blood in the corner of my mouth / But like old Tom I won't back down. "76 Trans Am" is fueled by a memorable chorus and bridge, the narrator meandering the streets of his hometown and the thoughts in his head: The more she changed, the more I stayed the same. These new sessions recall the early-evening, late summer vibe of 70s and 80s rock. "Angels Anyway" is a beautifully melancholy example, a lone trumpet suggests a wistful mood, complimented by cries from a guitar: Baby all we are / Is all we'll ever be

Daniel Hines, Brian Lee and co. have grown into terrific songwriters over the years, creating genuine moods with quotable lyrics and perfect turns of musical phrase. The acoustic, understated "Old Man and the Sea" joins a father and sun sharing a boat, but separated by the gulf between us. A steady heartbeat of processed percussion sets the pace for "Cannonball", the recollection of a young reckless life. While the individual pieces of Undefeated are familiar, Coomer and Left Arm Tan have assembled them into a road-ready composite that sounds current, regularly checking retro boxes but never yielding to the flat, functional production that plagues roots records. Singer Brian Lee merits special mention as one of the better vocalists in our kind of music. 

Undefeated is a thoughtful album, even as it delivers some of its most indelible messages with a kickdrum and a roundhouse punch. With Tim Manders' clamoring percussion and Marc Belding's blaring horns, "Pamplona" suggests Old 97s sharing a stage with Calexico: Beating heart like a drum. "Born to Break Your Heart" shares some of that same spirit, adding a spaghetti Western vibe to the mix: I'm not the answer / I am the gun and a good slow dancer. Cowbell introduces the dirtier "Cocaine Skinny", a tune whose animated video amplifies the tongue-in-cheek nature of the character sketch: Leopard skin boots and a trucker hat

Left Arm Tan have approached each project as an opportunity and a challenge to amplify new elements of their sound. Undefeated overflows boundaries and definitions, a roots record that recognizes the importance of production and mix in ways we've previously heard from bands like Delta Spirit and Sons of Bill (who have also worked with Ken Coomer). The album's title derives from a Hemingway story of the same name, a presence that carries throughout the collection. The writer offers: But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated. Left Arm Tan step into every corrida, every LP ready to face the bull. I ain't heard no bell ...


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

We had the pleasure of being at the release party last night. What a great group of guys and such talented musicians!!! They are truly exceptional.

Anonymous said...

WAY TO GO !! Soo proud of you Brian & Band !!! Sincerely, Shannon Evans

Anonymous said...

FABULOUS MUSIC !!!!

Roger Kean said...

Love The Tan!