Take Faulkner and throw in a guitar and a drum, and you’ve got Two Gallants. On The Throes (2004), they make good use of the debut rookie-status to create a dense and often loud blend of poetic soul and Poguesian-Americana dramatization over cacophonously melodic guitar/drum combinations. Tracks like “Fail Hard to Regain” or “Crow Jane” offer up a dichotomy in dynamics, but it is the subject matter— usually extremely verbose and literary—that makes each track seem that much more involved. While it is their debut and it is somewhat exciting; using the duo-set up as a jumpoff point for more rhythmically grand explorations rather than the standard blues-based riffage of similar groups like The White Stripes or Black Keys, and relying more on the huge voluminous dynamic of a group like Lightning Bolt (in decibels only), the album is still unexpectedly droll. There are no moments that jump out at the casual listener and even the hardcore fan would agree - this is not a singles band. Two Gallants have since created far more interesting and challenging music, but found their way into the arena of “catchiness”, but on The Throes, they really only lay out the bones of what they would become.
Listen to “You Losin’ Out”
Download “The Throes“
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