Label: Tee Pee Records Rating: 2 guns
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Review By: Ralph Greco, Jr.
A 'Psychedelic western band' is what Spindrift is called in their press. Consisting of Kirpatrick Thomas and Henry EvanKirpatrick Thomas on guitar and vocals, Henry Evans-bass and baritone (whatever this is?) guitar, Dave Koenig -rhythm guitar and harmonica, Julie Patterson-organ and lap steel, Jason "Plucky" Anchondo and Dan Allaire drums and Marcos Diableros, playing harmonium, autoharp, melodica, the band is re-releasing their 2005 "The Legend Of God's Gun" to coincide with the release of the film of the same name.
It's definitely a soundtrack 'thang' we're into here, a loose, little-to-self-aware-for-its-own-good collection of tunes that truly don't deliver beyond some loudness.
The title track has a cool jangle guitar lagging beat, "Conversation with a Gun" shows Henry Evans' walking bass in good form and "Preacher's Theme" is kinda spooky cool-this might be the best tune of he 14 here for me-with a nice acoustic guitar with odd keys western feel, and "Greenhorn's Introduction" is neat enough, at least the beginning, the lifting harmonium and autoharp at the end bring it around enough to make it interesting tune here. But too many of the tunes on "The Legend Of God's Gun" are like "Indian Run" which starts out cool with chanting and rambling drums and guitar but by two minutes it's has run it's course (and it stays with it another minute or so!) and "Blessing The Bullets", while a great title, its the same ole heavy electric riff that sounds like much of everything before it.
The sad fact of a soundtrack -even an album that maybe wasn't meat to be a soundtrack-is that what connects the songs sometimes is not a strong enough concept to begin with You get lackluster tunes, certainly not something worthy of a full collection of songs but one can tell Spindrift probably has something interesting to say, they nearly pull out the stops on "The Scorpion's Venom" with getting close to something unique, but alas most of God's falls flat for me. I'd like to hear something else from these guys (and girl) and while I can't completely recommend this one I do think the band is talented.
