While The Company Band‘s debut EP “Sign Here, Here And Here.” certainly carried a thematic overtone of lampooning corporate life, such concepts have been largely relaxed on this, their self-titled full-length debut.
Instead, the group, who are comprised of members of Clutch, CKY, Fu Manchu and Fireball Ministry, do tackle a few similar notions; but for the most part, band frontman Neil Fallon is free to explore his muse however he sees fit.
In a lot of ways this album is the casual wear to their last EP’s business attire. Large on grooves and flush with a classic late 70’s blue-collar rock n’ roll attitude, the group freely launch into numerous hard rockin’ numbers.
While once again not entirely removed from recent output of Clutch, there is admittedly a distinct lack of nuance present between the two outfits. Rather than overly embellish their tracks with southern blues overtones and hillbilly freak outs, The Company Band stick to business and utilize a lean amount of instrumentation to keep their material direct and succinct.
By putting any extended jamming on the backburner, a few of the songs can admittedly turn out feeling a bit plain. But the band do let loose once in awhile and even do a wonderful job of taking a stab at the longing psychedelia of Pink Floyd on what is perhaps the albums standout track, “All’s Well In Milton Keynes“.
That said, there’s a ton of southern boogie, foot stomping’ rhythmic prowess and clever lyrics on hand. Hell there’s even a seemingly out of character jab at “Hot Topic” employees and pop culture on “Hot Topic Woman“.
But while this album remains an enjoyable listen, it is admittedly somewhat overshadowed by Fallon‘s work in Clutch. The scaled down nature of The Company Band‘s sound allows for driving grooves, and the playing isn’t flat or restrained by any means.
Yet as a whole, there’s a certain fervor and identity that has yet to fall in place. As it stands now, The Company Band feel like a product of mutual admiration with solid chemistry and interaction between the band members. But the faint signs of rushed songwriting do sadly hold them back from attempting a global takeover bid just yet.
