ALBUM REVIEW: THE RED CLAY STRAYS - MOMENT OF TRUTH

Hbyco Records

Stepping into the realm of Red Clay Strays is akin to stumbling upon a hidden gem. Their music, a concoction of honky-tonk and progressive rock, transports the listener to a different era altogether. There are so many styles to the musicality anchored in a rock-solid bass foundation, and embellished with psychedelic guitar riffs, blurring the lines between tradition and innovation. In their words “non-denominational rock and roll.” Clocking in at nearly fifty minutes, the twelve tracks are a journey through dancefloor anthems, headbanging hits, and heartfelt ballads. In a bold move, the band incorporates samples into tracks like Killers, shedding light on poignant subjects like homeless veterans, while leveraging the studio’s power to amplify their already potent narratives. Whether the song has a bass-powered groove like Stones Throw, a powerful emphatic drum beat like on Do Me Wrong, or a layer of intriguing guitar chords on Heavy Heart, lead singer Brandon Coleman’ s vocals soar with passion and emotion. The tempo changes with Ghosts, as the band get into no holds barred rock and roll. Similarly, they go full on with, She’s No Good which is a good rocker and captures their vintage sound to perfection. Highlight must be the haunting ballad Wondering Why, each lyric delivered with a vocal that melts the soul. With this release, Red Clay Strays assert themselves not just as purveyors of nostalgia, but as torchbearers of a new musical frontier, a wonderful debut release.

Colin Campbell