Tenkiller Burn the Boats
Tenkiller has a new album Burn the Boats: it’s heavy, driving, and muddy electric Southern red dirt rock that beats like the hearts of struggling Southern folks themselves. And it’ll resonate with struggling folks everywhere. Hailing from Nashville, Tenkiller is a genre-blending alt country outfit whose members had roots in the punk world, and they retain that driving impulse.
“Tennessee Hills” launches the album with a heavy red dirt pounding, “way up in the Tennessee hills, money’s tight can’t pay the bills, life it’s hard and breaks your faith, kill the messenger and walks away. but you got what I need.” The electric pulse addresses the struggles of folks trying to get by and the electric guitar solos rock.
“If You Wanted To” invites you to “lean on me if you wanted to, when you’re weak and I’ll be strong, it’s okay to need someone / times have changed and times have gotten tough.” This one has a heartland rock flair and keeps things moving with electric guitars and a bit of fuzz. In “Alibi” the energy continues, with a raw “you’re losing sleep, you’re cheated heart can’t hold the lie,” and then in “Born and Raised,” the pace shifts to a bit more optimism and nostalgia for being raised in a small town farming community with images of the church: “steeples guard the prayer of the believers where I was born and raised.”
“Rain” is a swashbuckler moving full throttle and “set this place on fire, never coming back.”
After that storm subsides, “Back To You” is a bit of regret: “If I close my eyes, set my feet on higher ground, will I find my way back to you?” The songs all rock pretty much full throttle. It would be interesting to hear what some of them would sound like stripped down or slow tempo. As is, it’s a cacophony and keeps on driving.
Tenkiller lands on painful, relatable topics in an electric storm of catharsis: small town life, love and loss, anger at being mistreated, cheating hearts and more. Check it out and find more information here on their website: https://tenkillermusic.com
Musicians on Burn the Boats are Mike Lewis on vocals and guitar; Clint McBay on guitar; Billy Power on bass and backing vocals; and Ian Hoey on drums.
All songs on the album were written by Lewis/McBay. It was produced and mixed by Billy Power, and mastered at Aria.
