Album Review: Wagons - Need A Ride?

Wagons always come to the party with a smorgasbord of energy, riffs, twang and humour yet there’s always heartfelt honesty at the core of their music. They entertain but never at the expense of the song. Led by the king of cowboy cabaret, Henry Wagons, the band follow-up last year’s fine Songs From The Aftermath album with a new EP and, even within the space of five songs, they cover wide musical ground, with mostly impressive results.

The opening title track conveys a cosmic psychobilly malevolence, with a Suicide and a demonic Nebraska Springsteen influence – all in a manic carnival waltz at the altar of a satanic cowboy king. It’s a wild trip that takes a sharp turn into the mid-tempo Time Heals All Wounds. Nice enough, but a fairly pedestrian strum and croon. Bob Dylan gets the rollicking, country-rock meets honky tonk treatment on their version of To Be Alone With You, while the meditative and dramatic Flotation Man is a fine example of the schtick-with-substance that they do so well. Wagons take us out on a high with the warm and intimate Brand New Place; a tender ode to personal change and restoration as Henry Wagons' voice wavers in unison with the tremolo guitar. Lovely stuff.