Snakebite Orphans - "Slowdrizzle"

Album review by Chris Meck

This Kansas City trio sounds like Velvet Underground-era Lou Reed on a bender with Hank Williams, Sr. in a backwoods Missippi dive where the women have big hair, evil intentions, and all the beer is imported from St. Louis. That shouldn’t bother anyone, though-you drink whiskey in a place like this; and you drink it straight.

The Snakebite Orphans are a profound about-face from the norm, and their EP Slowdrizzle is proof positive. In the modern era of rootless rockers jumping on whatever bandwagon is the next big thing, (or sadly and more commonly, last year’s next big thing) the Snakebite Orphans have thrown all of that out the window, stripped rock down to it’s bare essentials and got themselves a fine rock and roll band in the process.

This is an exceptionally soulful group led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Stevenson’s tortured howl and churning rhythm style, backed only by bassist Tom Livesay and drummer Matt Brahl. Livesay and Brahl follow Stevenson’s less is more approach to the letter, eschewing flashy parts in favor of a deep, driving groove. It’s a remarkably ego-less approach that lends a swampy, spooky, hypnotic quality to Stevenson’ haunting compositions.

All five tracks represented here have merit, with the aching ballad ‘Some Fool Am I’ and rollicking closer ‘Daddy’s Got a Shotgun’ being particular favorites. One bone to pick: some of the lyrics are indecipherable. You know what? I don’t care. It’s good shit, and there’s an old saying in music-’It isn’t what you say, but how you say it’. You may not understand every word, but you’ll feel it. That’s what this band and this record are all about.

For more information, check out the band's website at www.snakebiteorphans.com. --Chris Meck
chrismeck@thezone.org