The name scared me. Who knows what to expect from a group who would choose “The American Freedom Machine” as their handle? The Harley-Davidson tagline lends itself to every “Easy Rider” cliché available, and at first listen, it’s impossible to gauge the level of sincerity from the players of this indie-country ensemble. Things start roughly, as the first couple songs seem entirely too self-aware to be serious (“Big Ol’ Country Girl,” “Bluegrass Sunsets”). The former could be a barnburner live, but to open the record with it feels like too much, too soon. The album settles into a more comfortable vibe with the beautiful “Barstool” and “Blue & Gold.” These are the radio songs. “Barstool” is a lament in waltz form, while “Blue & Gold” amps up emotion across the board. The songwriting is more evident; this isn’t a song played by a bunch of friends, this is a fully realized effort. There’s enough worthy material here. In the age of playlists, rearrange and whittle this one to the perfect six out of 10.
This article appears in July 26, 2011.