Recently I came across the band from the Four Corners region of Colorado, The Beautiful Loser Society. Whose new CD Aim Low is a veritable smorgasbord of Roots Rock styles. Featuring Southern Rock, Outlaw Country and Blues. The album rocks with tales of losers, loners, moonshiners and jilted lovers. All of these tales are cloaked with a certain Gothic charm. The Beautiful Loser Society is Chuck Barry on rhythm guitar and lead vocal, Kevin Chelf on lead guitar, Danny Bankston on the drums and Mike McCluhan on the electric and upright bass. The album was mixed and mastered in Austin by Dale X Allen and Cris Burns who deserve some of the credit for Aim Low‘s Gothic feel. Call it Roots Goth, or Gothic Twang. Whatever description it is given the Society’s music deserves to be heard.
The band seems to have a loyal fanbase in the Durango/Telluride area but I can only hope their reputation can grow beyond this regional status to a wider audience. From the opening track,”Delta Shine,” which tells the story of an outlaw moonshiner to the hilarious “Best Thing (That Ever Happened to the Worst Girl in Town.)” Their is also “ole John Deere,” a touching tale about a family searching for something to cling to while facing hard Times. Country songs like “Talkin’ to the Devil” also abound on Aim Low. The album is fun listen and certainly a gem of a find.
About the author: Chip and his family live in Birmingham, AL. Roll Tide!