Album description:
A very tasty second helping from the amazing Waybacks of San Francisco, Burger After Church runs the musical gamut from a Mediterranean mandolin duel (Turkish Stalemate), to an infectious swing that showcases the band's incredible chops and feel (Bright Place), to an achingly beautiful rendition of Floyd Cramer's Last Date, to a sizzling fiddle tune (Prairie Doggin'), to a haunting Scottish folk tale(The Return) that songwriter Archie Fisher wrote especially for this release as a sequel to the Witch of the Westmereland. Other "acoustic mayhem" surprises lurk on the eleven cuts of this must-have CD.
Reviews:
"The Waybacks are a West Coast acoustic quintent that blends ample humor and freewheelin' spirit with fine mu
sical chops and keen melodic instincts on this primarily instrumental project. Spritely mandolins and ominous baselines kick things off on the shuffling acoustic instrumental 'Turkish Stalemate,' then 'Down From Iona,' powered by lightning-fingered guitar work, comes off like a cross between Pure Prairie League and Flatt & Scruggs. 'Brundlefly' and the trippy 'Temporary Cheese' are more atmospheric, jazzy works, while the fiddle-laced 'Bright Place' and bluesy 'Police Dog Blues' are more light-hearted, rural honk in style. Elsewhere, an effective take on Floyd Cramer's 'Last Date' comes off like backwoods lounge, and more steady bass and deft mandolin give 'Gulshion Island' a big, anthemic feel. These guys can play like bandits.
Ray Waddell, Billboard
"With this, their sophomore effort, the Waybacks confirm that they are one of the most exciting, inventive and fun acoustic bands on the planet! Mixing interesting instrumentals, played with taste and hot licks, and effective folky vocals, these guys are a bit like what would happen if New Grass Revival played Chinese fire drill with the Austin Lounge Lizards. It's no wonder that these bay area favorites are catching fire across the country: they are stellar instrumentalists adept in multiple musical genre's (folk, swing, bluegrass, Celtic) who have taken the acoustic string band to a whole new level. Much of the CD is original material, and the writing is consistently good, but even the covers are rendered in such a way so as to make them sound new. Throughout the entire CD I had the distinct impression these guys were having a ball in the studio. That kind of infectious fun is present on every cut. Acoustic mayhem rules!
Kevin Russell, Freight Train Boogie
There are musicians & then there are MUSICIANS! The Waybacks are one of the most talented, entertaining & enjoyable quintets that you will ever see or hear. If you haven't heard them yet, their website has several mp3's from their debut CD "Devolver", which will corroborate my high praise for the band.
Rooted in bluegrass, with patches of blues, jazz & Celtic music, "Burger After Church", the superb follow-up to "Devolver", is another tour-de-force for The Waybacks. The interplay of James Nash's flatpickin', Stevie Coyle's fingerstylin' & Wayne Jacques fiddle & mandolin are some of the finest string-work that you will ever hear. Bassist Joe Kyle, Jr. & drummer Chuck Hamilton wrap the string-work in a nice, tight package.
From the traditional Floyd Cramer tune "The Last Date", to a great rendition of Blind Blake's "Police Dog Blues" & the Celtic song "The Return", not too mention the 7 eclectically played instrumentals, The Waybacks offer musical experiences not to be missed. Even if you are not hungry & even if you are a vegetarian, I strongly recommend picking up a "Burger After Church"!!!
Guitar Nation
For more reviews, gig schedule, bios and a very entertaining collection of newsletters, go to:
www.waybacks.com
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