Grand Old Grizzly - Pure Country Pyrite (2018)

Coming out of the storm like the mythical ghost riders, the twin lead guitars of Houston-based Grand Old Grizzly set the outlaw tone of Gundowners. The opening number of their latest album, Pure Country Pyrite, it’s the fascinating-like-a-train-wreck story of a pair of sociopaths who were made for each other. With a similar uptempo twangy feel, Rescind All My Amends also explores flawed personalities with the protagonist explaining, “I was over me long before I was into you.”

The record also has my new favorite rock and roll saying, “If rock and roll ain’t killing you, you probably ain’t doing it right.” It’s from a ditty about the the joys of touring called Took A Little Trip that also has the lyrically fantastic “nothing says forever like a body hitting dirt with a cold hard thud.”

Several songs on the album combine the southern rock feel with a nice, jangly guitar sound that mixes to be a sort of Texas surf music. Carmen and Awkward both come in under that category, as does the irresistible Papa Was A Radio.