Review: The Bridge City Sinners ‘In The Age Of Doubt’
Having been a fan since around 2019, it’s been quite the ride following the little-known punk rock/dark folk outfit The Bridge City Sinners. Initially discovering the tune Pussy Cat amongst a YouTube playlist, right from the first listen I’ve been hooked. It’s been a wild few years and having seen the band perform live too, I know first-hand that they are equally as vibrant on record as they are live.
The band, who initially started life as a fun busking ensemble, are now releasing their fourth studio album, In The Age Of Doubt to an unsuspecting public, and it’s an absolute rager.
For those in the know, you will already be aware of the band’s eclectic sound, which is truly synonymous to the band. I imagine you will already be in love with the roguish quintet themselves too. Fronted by enigmatic anti-hero vocalist and banjolele player Libby Lux, the five all have their own side hustles, but when they come together, it’s absolute dynamite.
With each new release, the band somehow seem to evolve and revolutionise their sound, which, considering its flamboyantly stripped back nature, is an absolute marvel. This time round they’ve produced a fourteen-track masterpiece that is drenched with tales of debauchery and degradation. That being said, there’s also plenty of self-inflection, which I’m sure for a great many of us, is a daily struggle.
Backed by King Strang, Lightnin’ Luke, Clyde McGee and Scott Michaud, Libby invites us into the band’s goth punk Americana, laden with a DIY mentality, which is as intoxicating as it is quirky.
The nature of the band’s uniqueness can be heard on tracks such as Midnight To Vice and Crazy, which encapsulate a little snapshot of just what we love about The Bridge City Sinners already. Both have their trademark vibes, quirky, vibrant and unashamedly full-on fun. The upbeat benchmarks that the band are known for currently shine through, and yet, they both have a tickle at something new and improved.
Elsewhere on the opus, there are darker tones and a real solidification of just what makes them so special. This isn’t just a collection of bar friendly songs to get drunk to, this is a line in the sand of legitimacy, like on Shame which works as a transition from old to new, and while it is unabashed The Bridge City Sinners, it is a more adult version.
a fourteen-track masterpiece that is drenched with tales of debauchery and degradation…
More upbeat and cheeky tracks, such as Sinner’s Saloon and The Good Ones pull those old Americana tones firmly into the twenty-first century, in a way that only The Sinners know how. A lot of us outside of the US, who will only equate Americana as an oldy worldly sound from across the Great Pond, will use that as a benchmark for our understanding, which is usually based on having seen and heard it on films and television, but for those willing to explore a little deeper, then this really is a rabbit hole to fall in to.
Heavy, track four, will tickle quite a lot of people’s fancies, especially with its subject matter, as I would stake my whole existence on it being universally recognised as a coping strategy. As is the case with any of their albums, there are some quite markable evolutions that has been especially evident on both this new album, and the previous Unholy Hymns. There are several moments where the mood darkens, and a more emotive side shows through. This is especially evident on several tracks.
Break The Chain, the album’s opener for instance, while still maintaining the band’s signature sound, seems to have upgraded. There’s a fuller feel to the sound, additional instruments have crept in, and it feels deeper. Whereas Doubt is a darker track and it’s especially here where the more sensitive and emotive side of the band shines through.
Covering the subject of acceptance, anxiety and self-doubt which is, as I’m sure a great many would agree, a daily conflict and Libby’s vocal, especially toward the climax, fully compacts the fear and hopelessness that we are all tuned in to. It’s a powerful track and shows the bands evolution into more sensitive subject matter. It’s so epically great and a highlight of the whole album.
Add to this End Of The War and Spears And Blades, two tracks that are such a reach forward that it’s hard to compare this new work and the debut album as being the same band anymore. The sound and subject matter are denser, it’s as if the band have grown some new elements into their already impressive skillset.
All in all, as a fan, of course I am going to say go and check The Bridge City Sinners out, in the five years I’ve followed them, I’ve seen them take on each challenge and smash right through it. In The Age Of Doubt is nothing short of fantastical and will hopefully see the band get the exposure they so fully deserve. An incredible album by an incredible band.
Label: Flail Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Lee Beamish
