The Moaners Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
The Moaners were already rockin' the messed-up blues with impressive results on their debut album, 2005's Dark Snack, but they dig deeper into the heart of their music on their sophomore release, 2007's Blackwing Yalobusha, and it's one wild and moody ride. Blackwing Yalobusha was recorded at the Mississippi studio that used to be the Money Shot, where much of the Fat Possum Records roster did their best work, and the ghosts in the room seem to have gotten into Melissa Swingle's guitar; she feeds plenty of primal slide work and gutsy chordings through her amp, and while she's hardly a virtuoso, she generates a truly commanding racket that conjures up an impressive, soulful power. Laura King's drumming is perfectly simpatico, filling up the spaces and pushing the tunes forward without wasted force, and in Blackwing Yalobusha's finest moments, you're never conscious that there are only two musicians playing these songs. The slightly arch tone Swingle brings to some of her songs is still the Moaners' sticking point, but it's less intrusive than on their debut, and she's grown into a better storyteller, as the celebration of one badass female on "Foxy Brown" and the multilingual passion of "French Song" confirm. The Moaners aren't really playing the blues -- there are too many fractured structures and too much indie rock irony for that -- but the closer they get to the tangled roots of their influences, the stronger they become, and Blackwing Yalobusha is a satisfying step forward for this duo. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
While Melissa Swingle was easily the best thing alt-country drifters Trailer Bride had going for them, one listen to the first album from her new band, the Moaners, suggests that she might have been better off taking a different tack from day one. The Moaners' 2005 debut, Dark Snack, is a stronger and more engaging disc than nearly anything Trailer Bride had to offer; Swingle and drummer Laura King's simple but expressive blues-influenced tunes give this duo a strong melodic backbone, and Swingle's primal guitar and King's rock-solid drumming kick the melodies forward with a welcome degree of muscle. If there's a shade more irony in Swingle's vocal delivery than she really needs, the rock action of the music more than makes up for it, and these stripped-down blues accents favor her more than Trailer Bride's faux-country lope. Rick Miller's production gives this two-piece an admirably full sound without cluttering the surroundings, and the band manages to sound alert and snappy while bowing to the classic behind-the-beat traditions of the blues. Dark Snack is a solid reintroduction to a gifted artist, not to mention a fine debut from a band with no small amount of potential. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
