Whisky Myers: Scars, Swagger, and Something More

“This new album is about where we’ve been, what we’ve lived through and the scars we’ve earned along the way. This might just be our most fearless album yet.” John Jeffers, guitars.

Whisky Myers are from East Texas, firmly rooted in the spirit of southern rock. People call them the “new torch bearers of southern rock,” though whether that’s a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. But listening to this new release, there’s a whole lot more than just this to their music. Think Blackberry Smoke and Cadillac 3 and you’re heading in the right direction.

Whomp Whack Thunder (where do they get these titles from??) is a fine blend of southern rock, tinged with blues and country and, in places, classic rock as well. The opening track ‘Time Bomb’ proves this perfectly – a full-on rock number that exists in that space between southern rock and classic rock. You could almost claim they’re genre defying.

This album is solid work with its roots firmly in the swagger of the south. It’s very rock oriented in parts but pulls back in others, with some real foot tappers included. I’d have liked to hear the keyboards more prominently, the way the Allmans used them – that would greatly enhance the music. But it’s a small gripe.

When they put their foot on the pedal, they really go for it. You can hear this on tracks like ‘Tailspin’, ‘Break These Chains’ and ‘Midnight Woman’ – all driving southern rock at its finest. But they don’t lose anything when they play country-inflected tunes. ‘I Got To Move’, ‘Born To Do’ and especially ‘Rowdy Days’ feel more like Waylon Jennings than Skynyrd.

The standout track has to be ‘Rock ‘n Roll’ (no, not Led Zeppelin’s one). It starts slow but increases in power as it unwinds, showcasing some genuinely fine guitar work that had me reaching for the volume knob.

There’s real energy and enthusiasm throughout Whomp Whack Thunder. The vocals are gritty, the songs are solid, and it’s all bound together with fine musicianship. These guys have the attitude of a band attempting to move a traditional genre forward. Who knows? On the strength of albums like this, they might just succeed.