Blurt Mag: First Look: New Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ EP
The Southern stalwarts kick off a series of new releases with a survey of their strengths. Songs From the Laundromat is out this week on their own New! label.
By Michael Toland
The first in a series of EPs that replace a new album from the veteran Atlanta quartet,Songs From the Laundromat presents a quick survey of Drivin' N' Cryin's strengths.
The five-track collection opens with a pair of industrial strength heavy rockers - while the blue-collar slam of "Ain't Waitin' On Tomorrow" delivers the goods like a UPS driver with unerring aim for the porch, "Dirty" falters slightly on its (clearly satirical) sex-you-up lyrics and exaggerated vocals, though not its raw boogie.
Then the band enters jangleland with "REM," a perfect tribute to the ban
d's statemates,
and sails home with the lovely country rock of "Clean Up," written by Amsterdam's Tim Knol. (The other track, the puzzling "Baloney," is a 30-second belch of noise.) Songs From the Laundromat delineates D'n'C's vision better than any press release.
If an alien hopped down its exit ramp and demanded to have this Drivin' N' Cryin' thing explained or else, this is the record that would save the Earth.
