Dripfed.co.uk

The Medicine Bow
Another string in the bow

In a world were cockney skagheads in bad clothes are supposedly where it's at, it's good to hear something way off that whole kind of wavelength. Step forward The Medicine Bow, a band soaked in booze, caked in light stubble and sounding like Johnny Cash gone punk.

It's a testament to the band that there really isn't one dull song on here used as filler, each one is start to finish slum rock n roll goodness.

'This side of town (Train song)' has what few would have expected in 2004, some killer harmonica and just as the brackets of the title says, an infectious train chug riff that will get in your head for days.

'Scar on the horizon' has a tune thats placed firmly in country and a lazy, some would say drunken, but undoubtablly and unmistakenable vocal all of its own which both manage to amplify each other in a true chicken and red wine moment.

Closing track 'Waltz of the disregard' cant help but raise the spirits, a slow one which you might dance(stumble) with your girl to and tell her that your drunk on love or maybe just nurse your glass of the bars strongest whisky whilst telling the barman your woes.

I was listening to this disc loads at the same time as the new Mark Laneghan effort and strangely enough they nearly became one which is always going to be good when the boy Laneghan is producing some of the best work of the year.

This 5 tracker is a top slice of Americana (via Manchester), is a world away from normal and could easily sit as the soundtrack to a Jarmusch or even Tarentino movie about outsider heroes.

9/10

Jim Silvester