Bad Mother Nature
Beautiful Americana tones from the I5 corridor
I have a theory about bands. You can tell they are unique when you can tell where they’re from just by listening to them – no research allowed. You can’t do it with singer-songwriters as much, but if you know what you’re listening to, you can tell the difference between a punk bank from NYC, versus Brighton, a country act from Bakersfield versus Alabama, or in this case – an Americana band from California.
Formed in 2016, this quartet from the I5 corridor brings us images of Gram Parsons, the Eagles and epic 70’s anthems. Their discography of two albums and a host of singles are true Americana, with a shifting focus between piano based songs, electric guitar based songs or acoustic (as is the case with the beautiful track, “Mad Oklahoma”). As you roll through their work, you’ll get taken down some dynamic paths as much of their work features multiple vocal tracks taking the lead, great dynamic changes, extensive guitar tones and a broad range of topics. It’s obvious that have a lot to draw from, and they do it well.
“Hawks, Doves and Gamblers” is a great example of their work. The band jumps in right from the start, laying down an open faced, 70’s groove with classic guitar tones (Tele and a Twin? 335 and a Twin?) and a nice flappy snare. The hook of the chorus is sung in harmony with just about everyone in the band singing – giving us a vibe of this being a protest song – same thing with much of the third verse. It’s not the individual parts of this song that makes it great – it’s the entire song itself. There’s nothing showy or braggadocios about it. Like so many Americana classics, it’s about nothing more than the song. Do some research on the band and you’ll discover what the drummer went through that inspires this song. When you do, the lyrics take on a thicker meaning and you begin to see where I’m coming from with respect to the Eagles and Gram Parsons feel.
Sonically they fit right into Americana and California. It would be great to see them here in Nashville – this is vibe that would definitely resonate here. Nice work fellas!