All the Great Aviators Agree is the second offering from Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags. I loved their first CD, Legionnaires Disease, but wondered if there would be a sophomore slump with this one. The short answer? No slump here.

Barr is the songwriter and vocalist. He’s flanked by the Slow Drags on lead guitar, keyboards, pedal steel, bass, and drums. The six piece band hails from Portland. While I think of them as alt-country, they claim to borrow from the classics, draw from their contemporaries, and cross many borders.

However, you care to categorize them, Barr can still turn a phrase with the best of them. On “Fall Hard”, he sings, “Well I guess she only lied to me twice / Once when she drank my whisky / The other when she stole my wife”. The song, “Don’t Get So Heavy”, includes the lines, “I won’t hold out much more / Halfway ‘tween suicide / And the liquor store.” For “If You Fall”, the situation is summed up with, “She’s playing love songs you’re playing God / She’s making dinner for Marquis de Sade”.

Barr’s singing voice shows surprising range. His voice ranges from low to high as each song demands. The Slow Drags provide a pleasing blend of accompanying harmonies. They also show their talents on some stellar back-up instrumentation, especially the keyboards and the pedal steel.

Overall, the eleven songs on this CD provide eleven more reasons to become a fan. And, if you need one more reason, plan to see them perform in person.

Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags are coming to Southern Idaho. They’ll be playing in Pocatello, Boise, and McCall on May 30, 31, and June 1. If you don’t have this CD, you can get it while they’re passing through.
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Though this Portland, Oregon sextet bills itself as an Americana band, that title sells short the complexity of their sophomore CD. Barr’s vocals have a gravelly edge, and the pedal steel-and-piano of “Dirty Old Waltz” and two-step rhythm of “Fall Hard” certainly merit the alt.country tag. But the guitar interplay of “Fall Hard” brings to mind vintage Allman Brothers, the melody of “Don’t Get So Heavy” has the pop majesty of Badfinger, and the playful introduction and vocal harmonies of “Juanita” resound with the complex constructions of late-60s West Coast pop. Barr’s rough-and-tumble voice fits as easily on the Dylanesque guitar-and-harmonica “Mexican Blanket” as on the hot-picked-meets-power-pop “She’s Happy.” The latter neatly ties together the band’s country and rock sides. Barr’s lyrics are often poetically opaque, with his mood showing more through melody and timbre. “Come to Bed” suggests that the past can be remembered but not resurrected and seems to be an elegy to nostalgia. “The Burden” celebrates one more night of revelry before tomorrow’s unconvincingly promised reform. Fans of the Wilco and Brian Wilson will each find something to like here. [©2008 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]
                            Read more...
                        

                            
scotland barr and the slow drags follow up cd is damn good!!  saw them on their current tour and they do not disappoint.  while "aviators" has a more upbeat tempo than their 1st cd "legionarres disease", it is also step-up in their creativity and musical talents. scotland barr's songwriting are both witty and melancholic, which travels well with his whiskey-ridden vocals. i highly recommend "all the great aviators agree" to anyone.  if for sure won't be the worst $14.00 you'll ever spend.
                            Read more...
                        

                            
These guys are the real deal!  Great songs, great sounds and tasty playing.  The variety of songs will keep you listening and the story telling will keep you hooked.  If this group stops in a town near you, make it a point to check them out.
                            Read more...