THe BAcksliders – Thank You

I have been on a Dallas kick as of late. It’s pretty easy to be on such a kick when bands such as The Von Ehrics and Ronnie Fauss have put out recent albums that are in heavy rotation at my desk at work and at home.  Add to that list, Thank You, from Dallas’ own THe BAcksliders (that’s not an error in capitalization, it’s just how it is with these folks). In past releases there have been traces of blues, twang and punk mixed into a big ‘ol rock cocktail.  With this latest release, it’s the punk flourishes that give the album it’s energy throughout.

Kim Pendleton’s grizzled vocals fit the title of the opening track, “Bitter Days”. In fact, comparisons to the Joan Jett’s more rocking material seem lazy, but almost unavoidable in the instance of the tracks like “Dreams” and “Twisted”. Pendleton’s vocals get nice and boozy with the bouncing bass supporting her in “Damaged Goods”, and “Keep a Knockin’” is a retro-rocker that features the dueling vocals of Pendleton and her male counterpart in the band, Chris Bonner. Maybe the one downfall of the album is when Bonner takes the lead turn on the mic for a complete song. In “Reach of Fame”, the spunk and grit that Pendleton’s voice provides much of the album is lacking and is truly missed.

Overall, what more can I say than when you have a hankerin’ for a straight up adult rock record, you should reach out and grab Thank You.

In fact, go ahead and go to their website and download the entire album for FREE.