Willard Grant Conspiracy - Let It Roll (Album)
Opening to the strains of a mournful trumpet playing counterpoint to introspective reflection on global conflict, Let It Roll proffers a sonic vista of sweeping plains and human frailty. The album, now two years old and the bands sixth release, is a favourable mix of alt-country rock with the occasional diversion into Dirty Three style instrumentalism. Some interesting use of horns recalls Neil Young’s Prarie Wind but the rockier numbers feel a little cumbersome though parallels oculd be drawn with early Wilco and, to a lesser extend, Band of Horses debut released the same year in the US.
Enjoyable without being exceptional, engaging but not revelatory the album is urged towards something more by Robert Fisher’s arresting voice. Borrowing a little from Johnny Cash, Jim Morrison and Nick Cave, Fisher’s fractured vocal chords resonate perfectly with the expansive landscape summoned by Breach and Skeleton while the Bad Seeds-like title track envelopes Fisher in a crashing cacophony of fiddle, guitars and drums. Similarly Frasers rendition of Ballad of a Thin Man builds to a crescendo barking vocal that is riveting but not quite as good as Stephen Malkmus' version of the same song used in Dylan biopic I'm Not There.
Despite the strength of Fisher’s vocals the album fails to make a make a lasting impression due primarily to a lack of genuinely standout material. Fisher’s songs and lyrics are well crafted but not memorable, lacking the hooks and incisive observation that encourages and rewards repeated listening. In a genre where good songcraft is the distinctive Let It Roll doesn’t disappoint so much as blend too well into the landscape.
