“Got a twenty on the bar, and the world on a string. Â Hanging out ’til the brass bell rings.” Â I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a better description of what it’s like to be young and full of expectations for what life will bring. Â That’s a verse from Brass Bell, the first cut on the first album, Play For the Films, from Long Island-based Butchers Blind. Â Although there’s no other lyric that grabs me like that one, there are several songs to recommend on this disc. Â First though, a note about how the disc is organized. Â There are 3 interstitials that frame the album into halves, sides of a record if you will. Â These short little pieces are a little like a clip from a favorite film, complete with the clattering of the projectors.
The first half seems to be oriented to songs about still being in the place where you grew up. Â The tunes are, for the most part, rock and roll. Â And pretty darn good rock and roll at that. Â My favorite is Dice Were Down with it’s sweet horns accent. Â But Tired of Conversation and the aforementioned Brass Bell are no slouches either.
The second half strikes a more alt-country pose, and is a little more slanted toward the idea of leaving home. Â There’s some good twangy steel on most of the numbers in this section. Â It starts with Retreating and the opening line of “it’s nice to see you straight today,” that hits close to home for anyone that’s had a friend who struggled to cope. Â Highway Song (an original, not a cover of the Blackfoot anthem)Â and Never Changing Thing are both easy to imagine as songs Uncle Tupelo would have done had their path taken a slightly different fork from the same starting place.
Overall, Butchers Blind still seems to be finding their voice and style. Â They could be a rock and roll band. Â They could be the next big thing in alt country. Â Who knows. Â But I’m looking forward to seeing where they go. Â And in the meantime Play For the Films is an enjoyable entree into their talent.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.