Stone Senate- Dusk EP Review
Stone Senate Dusk
There seems to be a bit of a Southern Rock revival going on these days. Well, make that Southern with a hard rock twist. Bands like Blackberry Smoke and Dirty Honey are increasingly getting attention by the masses. Bubbling under the surface are some acts that are beginning to make noise such as The Georgia Thunderbolts.
With that in mind, I thought I’d take a listen to the new EP ‘Dusk’ by Stone Senate; a Nashville-based outfit that’s been in existence since 2012.
Wait, 2012?! I like to pride myself on being plugged into up and coming rock and metal. Apparently, I’m not the brilliant musicologist I think I am (I really don’t think I am btw). What’s worse is these guys are in my neighborhood. What a schmuck, I am!
Well, better late than never, right? Let’s get on with the review.
‘Down’: This tune features a nice gritty, melodic Southern Rock riff with a groovin’ bassline. The singer’s voice is nice and out front. There’s a great solo on this one featuring plenty of twangy, plucky goodness.
‘Against the Light’: I like how it starts out with a crystal clear twin guitar thing; For KISS fans, it’ll remind you a bit of the ‘Rock Bottom’ intro. The drums are really mixed well on this; good separation. The verse guitar part, at first, is a bit reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rhiannon’ but don’t worry, it starts rocking pretty quickly. This is a well-structured ballady-rocker of a tune. The vocals and lead playing shine, in particular.
‘Whiskey Helps’: This one starts off with some nice bluesy slide playing before kicking into a good mid-tempo 12 bar blues number. An ode to drowning your sorrows, this tune is a good straight ahead rocker with melancholy lyrics.
‘Slow Crusade’: I immediately get ‘Rain Song’ vibes with the acoustic intro to this one. This one’s a bit of a dropoff for me. Musically, it’s executed well but the vocals come off a bit monotone to me. The pre-chorus is a bit odd as well. I like ballads but this one is just a bit too depressing. I do like the acoustic lead playing.
‘All the Broken Pieces’: I really dig the guitar part that leads this off. The lyrics on this one start out reflective and a bit dark but then turn hopeful in the chorus. I like the dichotomy of the lyrics to this one. The lead playing really adds another dimension to this tune; especially in the dueling solos. Seriously, the guitar playing is top notch. This song is a good way to close the EP out.
After doing some research, I see that this album was produced by Toby Wright; no wonder it has such good production. I also see that this EP is part 1 of a 2 part series of them that will, eventually, become a full album.
This material was put together during the pandemic lockdown and I can’t help but notice that some of the isolation of the situation crept into the lyrical content of this album. We’re certainly living in a time that we’ll never forget. It makes sense that the music of this time would be an added document of it.
Overall, I really dig the ‘Dust’ EP by Stone Senate. I definitely look forward to hearing the next release. You can check out Stone Senate at https://stonesenate.com/
