The Yawpers: American Man

The Yawpers
American Man
(Bloodshot)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

It only takes about 90 seconds into the opening track of the Yawpers’ sophomore release to hear the disparate elements that make them one of the most intense and interesting rocking trios in American roots music. The song “Doing it Right” kicks off with skeletal acoustic guitar that gradually sounds like an electric one as the song explodes with a second similarly overdriving unplugged guitar all pushed by crashing drums and propelled by the dynamic vocals of Nat Cook.

Part blues, part rock, part folk, all slathered with early 80s punk attitude and some of the most over caffeinated playing you’ll hear this side of Reverend Peyton’s band. You won’t miss a bass player or electric guitar as the Yawpers turn their music inside out, pile-driving through genres with more energy than groups with twice as much instrumentation. Cook’s emotional vocals fall somewhere between Peter Case and the Drive-By Truckers’ Patterson Hood and the lyrics (tunes are credited to all three members) seem to question the protagonist’s place in contemporary culture (“walking the line between faith and good judgement”) with just enough side paths into unsuccessful romantic pursuits to keep things interesting. On the title track Cook sings “live my life with my head in the sand/praise the Lord I’m an American man,” typical of the wry humor here.

But it’s the integrated confluence of sounds that makes this such a riveting experience. The pulsating and introspective “3A.M.” morphs from an ominous swampy blues to a full blown slide guitar driven rocker in just over six minutes.  Elsewhere there are hints of rockabilly, Celtic and finger picking country/bluegrass as the trio winds its way through various American musics. Production by Cracker co-founder Johnny Hickman deftly weaves these threads into a tapestry that feels genuine and organic with song arrangements that keep you guessing where they’ll go next.

The sexuality of “Kiss It” is mirrored in the hormonal crush of the blues punk the band churns out with a barely restrained vibrancy. Without reading the liner notes, you’d never guess this is a three piece, let alone one sporting two acoustic guitars, a testament to the tempered aggression and sonic force they generate.  The songs shift from tender to pounding almost instantaneously and without warning. But the Yawpers never fall into cliché or dumb down their creativity, which makes American Man a success on every level.