While the Trainwreck Riders have rightfully earned comparisons to bands like Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, and friends and tour mates, Two Gallants, “Chug Along,” finds the band operating in the decidedly more folksy realm of the worn down and beat down rambler. In the context of “Chug Along,” and its restless and aching guitar lines and steady, but weary drumming, chugging could refer to reaching the bottom of the bottle, reaching the end of the road, or finding yourself at the end of the line with an empty bottle. None of those options may sound particularly appealing for someone who’s seen better days, but, like all ramblers, this one retains that small glimmer of hope in his mantra, “We could still chug along.” It’s a hope that keeps him moving to the next stop, and the next bottle, and the next day, and that’s what rambling is all about.

MP3: Trainwreck Riders – Chug Along

The Perch by Trainwreck Riders will be out May 12th on Alive Records.

Trainwreck Riders
Alive Records

photo by Charlie Villyard