One thing that has always been present in Tallahassee’s sound is a laid back groove. It meshes a swampiness reminiscent of Creedence Clearwater Revival with an original blend of roots and Americana. This encompasses the stylings of an incredible rock band that has, so far this decade, been one of the consistently great acts in the Boston music scene. To continue the consistency, Vanyaland is premiering Tallahassee’s brand new EP 32, and it’s a stellar record that’s both smooth and soulful.
32 was produced by the band themselves along with Dave Drago handling engineering and mixing duties at 1089 Studios in The New York State town of Macedon. The audio quality resonates pristine clarity from track to track, and there’s also a lot of harmony flowing throughout the album. Guitarist and vocalist Brian Barthelmes exudes an abundance of soul and guitarist Scott Thompson has sleek and excellent skills on lead. The rhythm section of bassist Shawn Carney and drummer Matt Raskopf provide the deep tone backbone. It’s a unique rock release in the sense of how poignant and profound each track is.
“Tell Me” starts the album out with a velvety tone and a chorus that mirrors a ballad. Tapping into that laid back groove mentioned earlier is “Loose Ends”, when Raskopf starts hitting his kit it sets the vibe for the rest of the song. The title track sounds like something straight out of Steely Dan, resonating a jazzy structure and smooth rhythms. “Shine” is another great example of Tallahassee’s trademark groovy style with the harmonies once again making their presence felt. 32 finishes off with the piano driven finale “Stand” where Barthelemes’ voice stands out with a soulful quality.
Tallahassee will be performing two shows in celebration of 32’s release with tonight going down at the Milky Way in Jamaica Plain with Providence rock and roll rabble rousers Smith & Weeden and Last Good Tooth. Tomorrow night, they’re at Providence juke joint Nick-a-Nee’s with Smith & Weeden again joining in on the fray. Make sure to catch at least one of the shows and grab a copy of the EP while you’re there, and give it a listen via Bandcamp below.