Oakley Hall - Gypsum Strings - Brah Records
Firing immediately to life with a Can meets Van Halen guitar riff, “Gypsum Strings” should definitely be judged by its cover. The simple artwork lends an air of folk music but the record works on various levels. At times, the music borders on the edges of of krautrock such is the style of the guitar but the vocals take the album away from any thought with strained Americana melodies fighting for supremacy over the up-front beats and afore mentioned guitar leads.
It’s not all power, with “Bury Your Burden” and “If I Was In Eldorado” featuring a banjo and some high-pitched vocals cementing the country feel of the album and providing relief from the more frenetic guitar parts.
Given the amount of variety in the songs but with an over-riding melodic feel of country coupled with the clanging guitars, it’s almost as if Oakley Hall were compiling a best of Neil Young in this record. And that is reason alone to check this record out.
4/5
Mixing krautrock with the guitar style of Neil Young, Oakley Hall add another record to the list of fine Americana albumsThis Review First Appeared in
