Brent Best, singer/songwriter for Slobberbone, can write some pretty good lyrics. He has a good grasp on writing phrases and lines that relate heavily to his life, but he also can write them in a way that others can relate to them as well. The only problem is, his lyrics are a lot better than his musical talents. I just couldn't find the interest in combining this much twang with rock 'n roll and a twist of punk. And when his voice matched the tempo of the music in the faster moments, it turned to a rough yell that took a lot away from the music. His voice is much more suitable for slower, softer paced music. It just couldn't match up in the crucial moments during a powerful frenzy of rock. There are a few tracks I enjoyed, however, including "Little Drunk Fists," a soft number that combines acoustic guitars with a very passionate violin. In these little intimate moments, his voice and lyrics are at their best. A very touching song that displays his talents as a singer/songwriter. It gets to the point where you would almost like him to leave behind his country rock past, and enter the solo acoustic singer/songwriter realm. Another track I enjoyed was the Tom Petty sound-alike punk thrash of "Haze of Drink." It starts out with some heavy guitars and pounding drums, before bursting into some rock/punk. Then there is a little part where they mix in a country riff, and it seems the music is going to go to the wolves, but it recoups itself and remains interesting. I don't mind the guitar solo's at all, they add to the music. The song is powerful, and keeps the country out of the music. The only other track I liked was "One Rung," the final track, which also keeps things soft.

These guys can rock, when they want to. But most of the time they like to add some country into the melting pot, which really destroys their music. If they kept the country out of the picture, they could really do some damage. But on this disc, the country is the most apparent part, even though there is more rock than country. I'll give this disc a C.

Slobber: Self Titled Semi-Discography

Sloe: Inexact Replica

[Issue Seven // April 1998]