Should a band name tell you that you like the band? Should music be that instinctive? Probably not, and it’s fair to say that I have enough bands in my collection with names that convey precisely none of their musical content to know better, but even so, the name Seven Shots From Sober makes me think that I like the band, and that’s enough to be getting on with. Perhaps it’s because Seven shots from sober sounds like the type of thing I might have drawled out when I was young and knew no better, or perhaps because it sounds like the perfect slogan for a band more accustomed to raising hell than raising the remote control, but whatever it is, the band’s name is evocative of a certain attitude that lies at the heart of rock ‘n’ roll music.
A five track EP, ‘South on Sierra’ contains a heady mix of good time southern rock ‘n’ roll with a gritty mix of bar room blues, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Black Label Society delivered with an earthy panache and a tongue so firmly in cheek you can’t help drawing comparisons to the Meat Puppets countrified punk ‘n’ roll. The title track kicks off proceedings with a scything riff and unholy howl of pure redneck joy, Brian Gibbs (vocals and guitar) clearly an indomitable spirit and ably supported by bassist John Verts and drummer Mark Rossie. Aiming for a harder sound than the recent crop of old school revivalists such as Rival Sons and Airbourne, Seven Shots from sober sound like they write while theyre drunk and record while they’re wasted, Brian’s epic soloing notwithstanding, and there’s no doubt that if you like your rock ‘n’ roll served in an ashtray with an oily puddle of beer swilling around in it, then Seven Shots from Sober will be your bag. ‘Concrete monster’ has an almighty riff introducing it which steadily develops into a strong groove that is guaranteed to get your head nodding, even whilst Brian sounds like he’s been gargling rusty nails in preparation for the track. ‘Insomniac’ has a chilled out southern vibe cross-pollinated with a healthy dose of the funk thrown in for good measure, Brian taking on the guise of a mad preacher as he rants and rails over the elastic groove only for the whole thing to explode over a chorus that sees the guitars burst into fire once more. ‘You’re beautiful’ initially sounds like the Meat Puppets doing a ballad, all jangly guitar and awkward percussive shuffle, before Brian lets loose with a taut riff that crackles with static. The result is a song that veers into hectic, Primus-loving alt rock territory, and there’s no doubt that the song should be taken with a hefty pinch of sodium chloride. Final track ‘not going’ has a Rolling Stones vibe with its clean guitar and bluesy vocal, closing the album on a defiant note as Brian sings out “I’m not going to fade away…” and nor, we feel, should he.
Seven Shots from Sober are rock band who aren’t afraid to have fun. The songs are funky with a groove that’s all their own and the playing is, by and large, excellent, but throughout you can’t escape the sensation that the band, first and foremost, were having a damned great time recording these tracks. If I have one criticism it is that the production, whilst far from terrible, lacks punch, the majority of the recording being overly trebly, but this is a minor gripe and overall you get the idea, beyond anything else, that Seven Shots from sober are a band you simply have to see live to really get it. ‘South from Sierra’ may draw upon the influences of the past, but all in all it’s a fun, feisty EP that promises great things from the band in the future.
