Country and rock have always gone hand-in-hand in that outlaw style of music, and few bands personify that brand more than Ted Z and the Wranglers. Made up of their rip-roaring lead singer Jackson Leverone, bassist Dan Mages, drummer Johnny Bluesky, and the multi-talented Harrison Moore (championing the steel pedal, guitar, mandolin, banjo and vocals); the boys and Rip Cat Records are celebrating their first studio release: Ghost Train (2015).
The Americana influences are immediately there, like this Southern-sounding album should pair nicely with bacon and whiskey. They’re well-practiced in multiple venues and bars, so they definitely know their sound. Like a good country band, they balance those heartbreak tracks (like “Hold On”) with the high-energy party songs (like “Joseph Ratcliff”).
I’m usually not a fan of country music, but tracks like “Trouble” certainly make me see the appeal behind it. When it’s not cliché or phoned-in, it can be a really great thing, especially since it seems like these guys had a lot of fun with this track. Topped off, we’re left with the bittersweet finale “Broken”. All in all, a good album for the country fan.
Get in the gunslinging mood with Ted Z and the Wranglers’ Ghost Train (2015) available now. Check out other albums on their website and Bandcamp page, and if you’re curious to see if they’ll be rolling by your town, look them up on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @TedZnWranglers.