The Outlaw Orchestra - 'La Familia'

Still blurring the lines between hard rock, country, and arguably even metal (just wait for that surprise guitar assault in the latter half of ‘Holy Ground’), The Outlaw Orchestra has enviably broad appeal. And if you think you don’t like the sound of a banjo, ‘El Dorado’ is here to prove you wrong. A distillation of everything that makes this band special, a track that initially promises a hoedown is actually a convincing rocker, flavoured with punchy chords and a chorus so addictive, it practically demands you go back and listen again.

It’s a theme of an album loaded with party starters; Opener ‘Rotten Apples’ thunders along with real rhythmic stomp courtesy of drummer Ryan Smith, whose mark is all over this frenetic rocker. But it’s the cigar box guitars and Dave Roux’s distinctive vocals that give this band their unique stamp. Roux’s voice has a warmth and ‘Southern’ quality despite hailing from the Deep South of England that makes his performance utterly engaging throughout. It certainly contributes to ‘Small Change’ being a foot stomping, fist pumping hell of a time; stabs of guitar punctuating Roux’s quick-fire delivery. It's also what makes 'SOS’ almost reminiscent of Blackberry Smoke, albeit a beefed up, heavier riffing version (like that could ever be a bad thing!). 

 

But there are moments of subtlety too, ‘Fear the Bite’ creeps in with a mood of foreboding, the acoustic sound conjuring the feel of a smoky bar. The aforementioned ‘Holy Ground’ is brooding, unfolding slowly, a clever deception before the instrumental section throws you down another path. ‘Sunday Drivers’ is introduced with some elegant guitar soloing, and hang on, is that a flute?! It's a track that relaxes into an appropriately laid back groove and demonstrates the band's ability to tell a story through song. Similarly, 'Bag of Bones' finds its origins in a quirky anecdote. ‘Graceless Time’ is sophisticated and soulful, enhanced by some powerful female vocals that complement Roux with some lovely harmonies. Harmonies play an important role too, in ‘Born To Be A Thief’, a song that rides on a gentle, but insistent Pete Briley banjo riff.

In ‘Outlaw’, the band have an appropriately titled anthem that is all out rock and roll, the Quo-like riff that kicks in somewhere in the second half feels providing an unexpected change of pace before the song kicks back into a higher gear. 

‘La Familia’ is a celebration of family in the broadest sense; the community of music fans who keep the scene alive. If anyone is here to unite them, it’s The Outlaw Orchestra. Be sure to pick up the album from Friday.