Virtue & Vice
Hornbuckle
Label: Hornbuckle
Review Date: June 08, 2014

I really, really, really love indie bands and try to support superbly executed projects but such bands. My criteria for covering CDs by indie artists isn’t complicated. I expect originality, great sound and excellent production.

When “Virtue & Vice” hit my mailbox recently and I popped it into my player, I big smile crossed my face because out of the speakers came brand spankin’ new blues!  And nothing grabs my attention like new, very well performed blues!  Put out by Denver area band, Hornbuckle, this album is sure to put a similar smile on your face, as well, when you give it a spin.

Downloadable from Amazon.com, the treasure chest of sixteen songs are offered for $8.99, making the songs obtainable at an incredible $0.56 per song. Where in the free world are you going to find great blues at that price, huh? HUH?

And musicianship?  Son, let me tell you, these guys are great!  Versatile and consistent, it’s easy to see why Hornbuckle has such an incredibly loyal following.

The first cut, “Don’t Fool Around”, grabs your attention from the git go with its mesmerizing riffs and vocals and doesn’t let go until the final cut of the album.  While I haven’t seen the band play, I’d wager this tune is a sure crowd pleasure.

A Boomerocity favorite from this disc is “’59 Pontiac Hearse”.  Fast. Danceable (for those of you who can dance), this, too, is sure to be a crowd favorite.  Another favorite is “Blue Note”.  The slow driving riffs of this song will create an earworm that will stick in your cranium for days. A third randomly chosen favorite (and, believe me, Boomerocity loves all sixteen cuts of this album), is the dark and cryptic, “Angels, Addicts, Poets and Thieves”.

Hornbuckle is a great band and one worth following – whether you’re a Denver area resident or live out of state. You can keep up with the band at www.hornbucklemusic.com . . . and I highly recommend that you do.