Fueled with a new found (and very welcomed) sex appeal while looking ever so refreshed, Those Darlins are back with their all new sophomore album entitled Screws Get Loose. Nikki, Jesse, Kelley, and Linwood continue their quest to have constant fun, drink the stiff drinks, and tour the country all while leaving a lasting impression on all who join in their nightly rock n roll shambles.
Even amidst non-stop touring, minus a brief timeout due to pair of broken bones in Nikki Darlin’s forearm after she lost a battle with Ohio terrane, the band was quick to record a follow up to their 2009 debut.
Screws Get Loose, in reference to the screws used to hold Nikki’s bones in place last summer, was released once again on Oh Wow Dang Records.
Known for being a more of a country / punk / garage rock sounding act, the foursome have switched things up a tad and added a nice indie rock style to their sound in their mix. One of the coolest aspects of this change is hearing Linwood, the band’s lone male drummer, lend his pipes on the album as well as help write some of the tracks. The girls still trade off with vocals throughout the album keeping it catchy and all so fun.
The title track “Screws Get Loose” open up things with a song carrying a couple of references to why screws were needed in the first place. The new sound coming from the quartet was good and quite the shock to hear. It was almost as if Those Darlins left their country sounds on the porch in Murfreesboro and headed off to the big city for a entirely new prospect.
“Be Your Bro” hands down is my favorite track on the album. Having heard it months earlier at a live show of theirs last Fall, I fell in love with the Darlins a little harder because of this track. Singing of how the girls just “wanna run and play in the dirt” while said guys “just wanna stick it in” just proved how real the girls are and how not afraid they are to tell it how it is. Singing “I may have girly parts but I have a boy’s heart” hopefully will throw a hint at any Darlin chasing fellow, or will it?
“Let U Down” premiered Linwood’s vocals, an improvement in the direction of the band if you ask me. Not that there was anything wrong with the girls taking vocal duties throughout the songs, but Linwood has himself a very fitting voice that goes perfectly with the music that they all create. This is a track that needed to be heard.
“Mystic Mind” was a trippy track that didn’t necessarily fit the rest of the album but was hard not to listen to. “$” was a step back for a moment into what I previously was used to coming from the Darlins and their group vocals.
“Starving for something and it ain’t your touch” start off the hilarious “Fatty Needs A Fix”. The track easily is a continuation to “The Whole Damn Thing” off their debut album, as a drunken end to a night out required some immediate stomach pampering and nothing more than that.
“Waste Away” put a halt to the party with a direct message to a certain someone to knock off the hardcore partying. This track reached back to material from their previous album. “BUMD” closed the album with what sounded like to me something pulled from the 60’s. The song differed from the others with more proof of how much talent these four musicians possess.
It was almost a shock to hardly hear any country driven tracks on this album, but it’s just proof that Those Darlins are maturing into an even more of an amazing act. Shorter than I would have liked, Screws Get Loose is a great album from start to finish with plenty of tracks to help you shake your baby-maker throughout thanks to all of the members coming together and doing what they like to do best. If you were not a fan of their first release, you might just want to pop this one in and see if it catches your fancy.
Gainesville, Florida’s Against Me! followed soon after delivering one of their best live sets I have seen to date. These boys have come a long way in their career and really are not that punk rock band they used to be. They have turned into rockstars, there is no doubt about that, and fully embrace their change in style to the fullest.
Gabel with his very similar James “Buffalo Bill” Gumb looking hairdo and crew were all smiles throughout their shorter-than-I-preferred-set. I may be biased sounding here, but I am used to seeing this band headline shows so to see them fill in a middle slot with no encore was kind of a bummer. I was not the only one who felt this way either as other Against Me! fans begged for just a couple more songs, but the band needed to make way for the headliners. Headlining or not, this band gave it their all from the moment they took that stage until the last note was played.
The female that joined DKM, whose name I did not catch, not only played fiddle throughout the night, but also did a hell of a job singing with Casey and Barr on “The Dirty Glass”. In fact, for a quick moment I thought Stephanie Dougherty snuck up on stage.
People off all ages (and I mean all ages – there was a seven-year-old front stage and center) were Irish for a night. It was really cool to see all the different types of people who came out that night and enjoy themselves. Some folk were holding up union shirts as a symbol of thanks to the DKM for their stand with all that is going on with the workers labor issues while others held up their pints high. Everyone was signing loud and proud throughout the night all thanks to DKM and their 15-year career.
Walking Is Still Honest
