Sunday 9 November 2014

Ryan Langlois, 'Bandit' E.P.





Ryan Langlois, 'You Never Know'

Info: From San Francisco but currently residing in Boston, songwriter Ryan Langlois has just recently released his second E.P., Bandit. In his bio he refers to American alt-country group Dawes and Nashville band The Wild Feathers as influences, and upon checking them both out there's an Allman Brothers thread going on and it's a distinctly traditional American style of rock that we've all benefited from.

I'm a big fan of American country-rock and I've mentioned it before, one of my favourite bands of all time are Creedence Clearwater Revival, the kings of the hybrid genre, along with Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues, The Louvain Brothers etc. and as Ryan himself says, he's immersed in The Rolling Stones, who we all know broke out of their early British rock sound and embraced Stateside blues, country and soul across multiple albums. 



When I first listened to the Bandit E.P. I was immediately reminded of a band that I was big into in school and then on the bounce later on in college, Nada Surf, and also a bit of namesake Ryan Adams' (Rock N'Roll), particularly on above track 'You Never Know'. Comparisons, comparisons, comparisons, all they are is a guide. Langlois' music is great honky-tonk electric rock, on 'Those Who Wait' the song is split in three parts, punchy electric guitar, followed by gospel, and back to roots in the final third. The title track 'Bandit' (below) is the Stones track on the E.P., at times Exile on Main Street and at other times well-structured contemporary folk-rock, and the guitar is delectable the whole way through. 



Ryan Langlois, 'Bandit'


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