Denver’s Bison Bone have perfected resignation and warm regard into a science on their third release 40 Grit. I’ve been seeing a lot of flare in many recent Americana releases — cosmic country is having a mini-revival, others are turning to the ’90s country of their youth. All that is well and good, but if you’re looking for some sad guys, guitars, pedal steel, and good storytelling, 40 Grit has got your number.
Lead vocalist Courtney Whitehead has a warm rasp, humility, and humor that calls to mind Warren Zevon and fellow Coloradan Jon Snodgrass. “Blue Collar Hard,” the EP’s opener, plants itself firmly as a slice-of-live vignette from the jump. The band approaches their hardscrabble protagonist with warmth, Whitehead evoking sympathy as the band’s spare arrangement gives the story breathing room.
“Turn Up the Radio” celebrates being a misfit and the music that makes us. Soothing and inexorable, it’s destined for a sing-along. Taking a break from Americana tropes, “It’s All The Same” begins with an arresting sing-song melody that resolves itself into an extended meditation of stark landscapes, depression, and rock’n’roll. The five songs on 40 Grit prove Bison Bone’s mettle as serious students of alt-country — and torchbearers for what’s to come.
Bison Bone — Official, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram