I learned of the Tumbling Wheels through my pal in music and fellow Redwall enthusiast Gabe di Chiara (of Ninebullets and Ajax Diner Book Club superstardom.) The Tumbling Wheels embody all of the good stuff about the “new” New Orleans with none of the horseshit. If five-part harmony country is your jam, the Tumbling Wheels is your new favorite band. The No Counts opens with a gently swaying ballad that serves as a primer for the rest of the album. The Wheels are in no rush, reveling in their beautiful vocal arrangements and understated but masterful musicianship.
But this is a New Orleans band, so, to be clear, they know how to have a great time. While the band writes ballads to great effect, songs like “Oh Shit!” and “On Account of Me” are sublimely silly. (There’s also a song in there about a mafioso boss.) Mostly, I’m impressed with the way the Tumbling Wheels can pull off slyly humorous old-timey music without affectation or parody. I’m excited to see where they go.