Post by jptheprofessor on Mar 13, 2006 0:24:58 GMT -5
SODAJERK – SODAJERK (no label) Pittsburgh’s Sodajerk first came together in the late 90’s when singer/guitarist Bucky Goldstein met drummer/singer “Poppa” John Tucker in the coffee shop where Bucky worked. The group’s self-titled fourth album offers a high-octane blend of country-flavored rock and rock-driven country, delivering equal doses of rawness, edge and twang. Over the album’s baker’s dozen tracks, Sodajerk gives us tear-in-your-beer music with wallop and a bite, with prevailing song themes of heartache, heartbreak, screw-ups, lies, loneliness and loathing, all delivered with a touch of wry sarcasm and lyrical references to liquor close at hand. The group offers varying textures in their rock-meets-country mix; they rock full-tilt on several numbers, such as the charged album opener “Dear Disappointed,” the boisterous “Lonely in the City,” the angrier “The Ugly Truth,” the punk-fueled “Final Resting Place,” “You Must Be Stopped” and “Getaway Car.” On the more twangy side of the spectrum, Sodajerk offers a feisty cow-stomper on “I Know You Will,” and a brooding lament on “Breaker, Breaker.” In between, we hear a sound reminiscent of R.E.M. on “Handcuffs” and “The Long Drive,” a Stones-styled swagger on the brassy “Tonight’s Gonna Bury You” and the closer “The Life We’ll Fake,” and Johnny Cash-tinged rockabilly on “Heartache By the #’s.” Recorded and mixed by Rick Witkowski at Studio L in Weirton, West Virginia, the album has a full, balanced and crisp sound, with the guitars given ample grit and bite, and the drums and bass appropriate rumble and punch. Guest Randy Baumann’s keys help flesh out the sound in spots. Sodajerk further defines their musical turf on their self-titled album, blending rock, country, song hooks and modern edge into a fun package. Sodajerk offers alt-country with attitude. (The CD can be obtained at the group’s shows, or by visiting their website, www.sodajerkcountry.com.)