Do you like your folk-rock dark and gothic? Do you like your heavy metal played on acoustic guitar, and with ample whimsy? Do you like cheap bourbon? If so, friends, Sour Mash is the group for you. This recording, originally released in 2000, has gone unnoticed for too long. MayApple would like to see it have a new life. Frontman Eric Leick is among the most imaginative and creative songwriters around. He’s not afraid of a good narrative, a rarity these days, and his sly humor is as infectious as his growling baritone. Here’s a rundown of the topics touched on in these eight songs:
Coming of age with first makeout at the drive-in;
Timid breadseller who never confesses love to his muse
Going to Hell (with a gunnysack)
A foreboding crow
Grandpa with the solar system tattooed on his back (“I bet that asteroid belt must have hurt”)
An argument with Sobriety, personified
An out-of-control amusement park ride and its cruel operator
Parrot who shames you with your own words
The rhythm section of Kenny Wirt and Eric Smith provide tight, even funky backing. The album was expertly recorded by Lou Whitney. The Surreal Deal is a hidden gem, and one that you will want to polish off over and over again.
Download the entire album now. (as zipped MP3 files)
