Album Review – 49 Winchester’s “III”
They’re ugly. They’re hairy. And if they had their way, they’d be stinking up an Econoline at this very moment barreling towards your town to melt your face off and make you misty-eyed as you sway your High Life back and forth to the bass line. But some dude had to snack on a bat half way around the world, and the home game will have to do for 2020. But lucky for us, the home game ain’t half bad.
Hailing from Castlewood, VA in the heart of Appalachia, the five-piece 49 Winchester serves it up greasy, whether it’s Southern fried rock, honky tonk country, sentimental moments tickling the fringes of Americana, or a version of soul that takes all of those influences and stews them. It’s always Southern, but the variety of flavors you’re served keeps you on your toes for 10 tracks. And eventually an album you start off thinking might be good for a quick hoot turns out running through a range of emotions you may have not been ready for, though you sure do appreciate the ride afterwards.
One issue with being greasy and loose like these guys is sometimes you’re hard to pin down. You rack this record up, look at these dudes, eyeball the cover with a bearded guy in a trucker hat with antlers, and then when the first track that hits you is a full-fledged road song fit for blasting in a Peterbilt, you think that’s what’s going on here: boot-stomping trucker country. But then they immediately shift into the slow-tempo’d and sentimental “Everlasting Lover,” and you’re caught off guard.
This is kind of how it goes throughout III (named for being their 3rd LP). The third song “The Road Home” finds you out on the road again, but this time in a more emotional longing for one’s lover. Whatever it is, the chorus hits you hard, and you keep listening until you encounter straight up country songs like the early Prine-feeling “Why Else Would I Call You?” with its sort of silly and swaying attitude, or later the tearjerker “You Never Did Love Me.” But they’re bisected by a song like “Raleigh” with it’s watery tone, and lyrics that could have been penned by BJ Barham of American Aquarium.
Difficulty settling into the groove of this record is the reason a proper album review has been a few months in coming. Variety is always welcome, but you also want to be able to hold the audience in moods as opposed to pulling them in and out of them. And though that overall concern still lingers, many of the individual songs on III are just too damn good to pass over. The album might be crowned by the swaying “Hays, Kansas,” which makes for the perfect launching pad for lead singer and songwriter Isaac Gibson to do his worst, and he doesn’t let you down.
Though it may sound like a banckhand compliment, Isaac Gibson has that blasting soul power with his voice similar to Chris Stapleton, but just not as clean. That’s what makes it so great though. You get those tingly vibes when Gibson hits certain notes, but there’s also just enough dirt in his voice to make it real. He sings with heart in a way where you feel the words more compared to the way prettier singers would render them.
And though this is a proper band and not a singer with side pieces, Isaac Gibson is the center of attention, and he pulls it off well. But it’s also the brotherhood vibe from this band that imbibes their music with that sort of blue collar, local hero flavor. You want to root for these dudes. You want them to come to your town so you can buy them a beer. You want them to get big enough that they keep coming to your town, but not so big they stop.
Touching on a wide range of emotions and musical vibes, 49 Winchester puts out an album some people have been braying on about being the the best all year since it hit shelves in early October. If it hits you just right, maybe it is. But either way, it’s certainly fair to add to the discussion.
(yet another) 1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
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Swannanoa
December 16, 2020 @ 9:10 am
Been a fan of these guys for a while. Every output of there’s is significantly better than the last. Love the new record and hope these guys get some of the commercial success they deserve.
AltCountryFanatic
December 16, 2020 @ 9:31 am
Nice review. This was definitely my “discovery” of the year. I had never heard of them, and this album just blew me away.
I’m glad to know this review will help them reach more people!
Throwback Country
December 16, 2020 @ 9:31 am
Like American Aquarium on a smaller, lesser-known scale, I think their albums get better with each effort. That’s always the sign of a good artist or band in my book. Great to see them get some pub from this review, Trigg.
TennisShoeCowboy
December 16, 2020 @ 9:38 am
I I saw a poster for 49 Winchester the last time I was in Bristol, VA/TN. I checked ’em out online and liked what I heard. I’m looking forward to giving their new album a spin. I’d love to see them live sometime once this damn plague is over.
Cackalack
December 16, 2020 @ 10:26 am
Definitely hits me the right way.
mouths of babes
December 16, 2020 @ 10:55 am
They get the unabomber sketch artist to do their cover art?
Travis
December 16, 2020 @ 1:20 pm
For those sketch artists that don’t do so well with eyes…
As far as the music, I haven’t listened to these guys before but am liking that Hays, Kansas song enough to check the rest of this out.
hoptowntiger94
December 16, 2020 @ 11:25 am
One of my favorites this year. Good review.
JB-Chicago
December 16, 2020 @ 11:25 am
Yeah I’ve been chompin’ on this one since it was recommended in another thread. Liked Isaac Gibson’s voice as soon as heard it. Road Home is great song as is Why Else Would I Call You, and Get Clean just has that old southern haunting vibe. Album’s been put into the rotation, nice!!!
HillPeople
December 16, 2020 @ 11:37 am
Just can’t get enough; I turn to this album in every mood.
kira
December 16, 2020 @ 1:05 pm
firstly their not ugly and their music is great shut your mouth “ saving country music “ my ass
Trigger
December 16, 2020 @ 1:14 pm
*they’re
Obviously I was being lighthearted. I think their music is great too. Take a laxative.
Mama&Trains&Trucks&Prison&GettinDrunk
December 16, 2020 @ 1:27 pm
Who the fuck pissed in your high life, kira? Chill.
Daniele
December 16, 2020 @ 2:40 pm
a very good and various album, it was also my discover album of 2020. I liked them better in the classic mode rather than the alt. mode though.
Marcel Ledbetter
December 16, 2020 @ 4:23 pm
I was hoping you would get to this one. Agree with the Stapleton comparison with less polish if you will, which i prefer.
One of my favorites this year.
Scott S.
December 16, 2020 @ 5:15 pm
Benn listening to this for a bit. Good album.
618creekrat
December 16, 2020 @ 5:23 pm
Been diggin it since you put it in your ticker tape up top. And I’ll bet their Mommas don’t think they’re ugly. 😉
ExcitedSouthnr
December 16, 2020 @ 6:21 pm
Good review Trig, spot on with the Stapleton comparison. I only found out about them from reading comments section on here, but man am I hooked! I find so much good music that I would never know about because of this site. Thank you!
Hank Charles
December 16, 2020 @ 9:43 pm
Exact same. Had never heard of the artist until I saw multiple people mention this one in the Album of the Year comment section, and I’ve probably listened to it a half a dozen times since.
He doesn’t really bring anything unique to the table, but he does everything well, both entertaining and polished. The Facebook verse in “Why Else Would I Call You” still makes me laugh at every listen.
Stringbuzz
December 16, 2020 @ 10:00 pm
This is a really good sounding album. Solid..I’ll see how many times I play it..
Jacob
December 17, 2020 @ 4:51 am
“Thank Gos the jukebox had George Jones – if you hadn’t known all the words I’d have left you there alone..”
One of my favorite lyrics of the year. Great album
ddymac
December 17, 2020 @ 1:57 pm
Great Review Trigger. I checked these guys out after SCM ticker on the release of 3 and so glad I did. I agree it’s a bit all over the place but I think that is why I like it so much. It creates a lot of different moods listening to it but the common denominator is a tight band and some very creative and catchy writing. I almost hate listening to it because nearly all the songs end up getting stuck in my head for the remainder of the day. Watching pandemic streams on YouTube and they seem like some great guys that really enjoy what they are doing.
Nate
December 17, 2020 @ 2:48 pm
Have you checked out Just Like Leaving by Bella White? Seriously one of my top three albums of the whole year
Trigger
December 17, 2020 @ 5:26 pm
The Bella White album is definitely on my radar. I am presently trying to go through and review as many records as possible that were released earlier this year and I didn’t get to. But I will not be able to get to them all. There’s just too many records, and only one of me. Just because I don’t cover a record doesn’t mean it’s not good, or that I don’t like it, or that it doesn’t deserve coverage. Sometimes I just don’t know what to say about an album.
Nate
December 18, 2020 @ 11:13 am
Totally understand, thanks for all you do. Almost everything I listened to in the last year or so is stuff found one this site so thank you!!
Stringbuzz
December 18, 2020 @ 10:41 am
That Bella White album is a treat.. Thanks for pointing it out.
Nate
December 18, 2020 @ 11:14 am
No problem. Haven’t heard a debut album this good in awhile
WuK
December 20, 2020 @ 3:32 am
This is a wonderful site to discover new country music. You have managed to introduce me to some superb music in the last few years. This is another great album. Thanks for that. Happy Christmas and a hopefully a great 2021 (with live music!).