The Greenhornes - East Grand Blues

Genre rock Publisher V2 Records External Links Official Website V2 Records

Influences prove to be a tricky thing in music these days. Those that get the most flak (Lenny Kravitz, the White Stripes, and Oasis are but three examples) each handle the accusations differently. A band can no easier ignore being called out for resembling an established artist than they can embrace it. Raging against it only feeds the beast, so ignoring it while carrying on as if everything is normal would seem the preferred reaction. Though in most cases ignoring it doesn't make the talk go away.

Cincinnati, Ohio's The Greenhornes are no doubt due to be barraged with comparisons to several psychedelic rockers of the 1960's. Their V2 Records debut EP, East Grand Blues positively drips with a "Flower Power"-era vibe. The most consistent comparison to crop up will undoubtedly be to The Kinks. East Grand Blues could easily have been labeled lost recordings by that fabled "British Invasion" group and none would be the wiser.

It's hard to ignore the pink elephant in the room, so why bother? Craig Fox's eerie resemblance to Ray Davies vocally may be the first indication, but Brendan Benson's production makes the Kinks comparisons a lock. Benson, a friend of the band's, has placed an indelible mark on East Grand Blues, one that shrouds The Greenhornes in a cloak of Kinks-ness. One needs to look no further than "Pattern Skies" with its sweetly yearning vocals, fuzzed out guitar and interwoven bass lines for evidence.

The band's death grip on a sound forty years old will no doubt turn off those seeking innovation. Then again, those who look for more straightforward rock 'n roll may see The Greenhornes as interlopers of a beloved time and place. Further still is the contention that the band is simply in love with the music of the '60s and play in that style to keep its spirit alive. Like those that continue the legacies of other musical forms, whether it be jazz, folk, or country, The Greenhornes pay tribute to a style on the precipice of being forgotten.

However, one wishes they would find a way to advance the form while paying homage. Perhaps even similar to the way that label mate/collaborator Jack White of The White Stripes has. Though this lack of forward momentum does not deter from enjoying the five songs found on East Grand Blues, The Greenhornes would be wise to step up their game on subsequent releases. Either that or just become accustomed to criticisms of scene-approximating that could prove deafening otherwise.