Okay so despite being a fan of them for quite some time now, Backyard Tire Fire is a band that I’ve never been able to see live. I’ve tried or made plans to go see ‘em live about a half dozen times (the night of my brother’s wedding reception, Ribfest twice, and once in Joliet) but have never succeeded in my quest. I will however be seeing the band at Metro in Chicago in a few weeks for their record release show. For sure.
The record being released is called The Places We Lived and it moves in a little bit different direction for the band. It’s a relaxed record that moves towards the direction of more orchestrated but still rootsy pop-rock a la Summerteeth and Being There. The Places We Lived has obvious twang-rock influences, but with and abundance of piano peppering the album it moves far beyond. Whatever it is, it’s damn good. It makes me wish I had a beer and nowhere to go.
Jammed into the middle of the album are remnants of the Backyard Tire Fire you’ve grown to love including the bluesy barnburner “How The Hell Did You Get Back Here” and its blistering solo. When firing on all cylinders, BTF sounds closer to a red-hot Allman Brothers Band than anything Tweedy. But it don’t last long as the band quickly moves back into some slow and gentle piano strolls that should soothe/exorcise your soul. Luckily for us the bluesy piano romps are just as good as the rock anthems.
With cleaner and clearer production and a little less grit the Places We Lived shows a new side of BTF; lovelorn with yearning nostalgia but coupled with straight-up Southern-fried noise. This is where Backyard Tire Fire serves up a hefty slice of Midwestern Americana that sounds as red, white, and blue as apple pie, Chevy trucks, and jeans & white t-shirts. Highly recommended.
MP3 | Backyard Tire Fire – How The Hell Did You Get Back Here The Places We Lived
MP3 | Backyard Tire Fire – Everybody’s Down The Places We Lived
Related posts:
- Win tickets for Backyard Tire Fire @ Metro this Friday
- Review: Backyard Tire Fire – Vagabonds And Hooligans
- Review: Backyard Tire Fire – Skin & Bones EP (or) blood and sweat on the strings
- Backyard Tire Fire at Double Door
- Review: The Blood Brothers – Young Machetes (or) set fire to anything else on fire
This is my first hearing of BTF… and the first song you have on sample worried me. Listening to it and then the second one, I’m really liking it. My quest for a new album is on.
Thanks for all the great reviews! You have no idea how many new bands you have turned my on to.
Thanks for the good words on BTF. I love this band. Their last record was top 10 for me in ’07. I’ll definitely be picking this one up.
definitely a good record, but like the last one it took me a bit to get into. there are flashes of greatness throughout the record, which keeps me coming back but ill be damned if there arent moments of pure frustration which keeps me from loving them, completely. i bet they wail live, though.