Soo Line Loons. Soo Line Loons

With two singles already having found their way to this blog, it is not a real surprise the album found its way in as well. On its eponymous, third, album Soo Line Loons presents itself at a both relaxed and ambitious level. Relaxed, because it is obviously at ease with its music and ambitious because the not so easy road is present and presented successfully in its songs.

Soo Line Loons is a six piece band from Minneapolis. As if this isn't a lot already, the listener finds a host of guest musicians, all to make the songs as strong as possible. Soo Line Loons isn't self-titled for nothing. Where singer/guitarist Grant Glad used to bring the songs sort of ready to the band on the first two albums, all went different this time. The songs were created together while playing and jamming together. The result is as diverse as it is strong. Most likely this way it was established fast what perhaps was missing among the six members and outside assistance brought in.

The strongest example of this approach may well be the single 'Die Young'. Funky, a great saxophone solo, strong, prominent background vocals support the rough, gravelly voice of Grant Glad. Songs stray from the basis of Americana that is at the heart of this album and what opens it in a great way with 'Old Mill'. Here's that ambition I already wrote about.

Promo photo: Martin Olav Sabo

The big link between the two type of songs is that gravelly voice. Glad has the kind of voice that suggests the worse for wear. Listening more closely it doesn't sound forced at all. This is the natural thing without having to exert (too) much. The difference between the funky tracks with the saxophone as lead instrument and the Americana songs, that often have a violin as defining instrument, is rather great. Both fit the band, with ease. It is the straying from the basis that set Soo Line Loons apart as an album. There's more to it than can be expected at first. The listener certainly gets the best of both worlds here.

Within the Americana there are differences as well. There's a song found written around a riff, mildly bluesrocking away, a country ballad, slide guitar and all, being build up from acoustic guitar strumming and an up tempo country rocker of the kind I can hear Karen Jonas singing ('Hope').

Soo Line Loons holds something something for everyone, without becoming a hodgepodge of musical styles. It is 'Die Young' that truly stands out though. Here the band outstretched itself in the best of ways.

Wout de Natris

Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g