Soledad Brothers

The Soledad Brothers have a history that is inextricably linked to their Detroit cohorts The White Stripes, and the Soledad sound is about what you’d expect from a band that began recording in Jack White’s living room. Borrowing liberally from the Stones and the Velvets - as well as most of the requisite blues icons - Voice of Treason is an engaging roadhouse stomp that makes for a mean soundtrack to either a night of excess or a night out on the open road. Frontman Johnny Walker puts a likeable strut into his singing, and he has enough charisma to be convincing even when the music isn’t doing much to support him. The album gets off to an inauspicious start with three by-the-book barroom rockers that, while enjoyable, could be the work of a thousand other bands.

From there, though, Voice of Treason quickly improves. Perhaps surprisingly, Walker and his bandmates are most effective when they abandon the chug-a-lug riffs and harmonies that propelled the “garage-blues-rock” hybrid into the mainstream. “Sons of Dogs” is stripped-down and shrouded in mystery, with Walker showing off his higher register while a lone drum thumps quietly in the background. “Sights Unseen” is a thick psychedelic stew, while “Only Flower In My Bed” is an impassioned slow-burner with horns and a hazy organ. It’s variety like this that raises the Soledad Brothers above the mire of the garage-rock revival. - Adam McKibbin

While suddenly every garage rock band in creation has started wailing the blues, the Soledad Brothers, who've become one of the leading lights of the roots-punk movement, have decided to try a different angle in their stripped-down blend of raw rock and raw blues on their third studio album -- and first major-label project -- Voice of Treason. While singer and guitarist Johnny Walker, percussionist Ben Swank, and multi-instrumental point man Oliver Henry haven't changed their style much at all on Voice of Treason, they're adjusted their approach, going for a more restrained attack and a cool, late-night vibe on several of the tracks; "Sons of Dogs" is a low-key and languid country blues-styled number, the sensual "Only Flower in My Bed" flows slow and deliberate like a river, and "Lorali" suggests a citified version of a Skip James tune. Of course, the Soledad Brothers do their share of rockin' out as well, especially on the Stones-style leadoff, "Cage That Tiger," the gospel-fired "Lay Down This World," and the swaggering "Ain't It Funny," but while more than a few bands would go out of their way to see how raw and ragged they could make this music, the Soledad Brothers have opted for a more measured attack that's sweaty and soulful but also conscious of the roots of this music, and the album strikes a balance between rock & roll aggression and the more subtle but intense focus of classic blues. Producer Liam Watson (of Toe Rag Studio) produced most of these sessions, and his old-school analog work ethic gives the album an inviting warmth without getting in the way. If you're looking for a wild blues party, Voice of Treason isn't quite it, but if you want to hear musicians who can respect their influences while kicking it out, then the Soledad Brothers are right down your alley. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide