The National Rifle
Man Full of Trouble
Unsigned/self-released
7/10
The last thing anyone thinks of when they think of Philly is indie music. Seattle, most definitely. Portland—awesome (in a related note, this writer has yet to visit either city, despite a close call)! Philly, well, not so much. Well, The National Rifle is out to change all that, and no, they have nothing to do with the National Rifle Association. The unsigned band has just cut a third album, Man Full of Trouble, and it’s everything antithetical to the image of the City of Brotherly Love as Motown’s red-headed sister.
Composed of a guy named Hugh, his best friend Jeremiah, a dude named Buddy on drums, and Hugh’s coworker Lynna, the band is a grab bag of various influences, from grunge, to 70’s rock, to—yes—Philly soul. The group proves their bona fides on the first track, “It’s Only Whisky, Mama”, a frenetic track that calls to mind smoky bars and the stiffest firewater east of Tennessee. But wait, there’s more! There’s “I Think I Have a Tumor”, perhaps the most technical song on the record, in that it mixes the aforementioned soul with rock and the jazziest sax ever heard on a rock album to date.
Comparisons to The Strokes are inevitable. But they’re more than just a band with an insanely talented and handsome lead singer. With a rat-tat-tat of drum beats, electronics up the butt and kick-ass lyrics, there’s more to recommend them than just slots of music videos on MTV2. Hugh’s accumulated knowledge of rock music shines here, as well as Lynna’s harmonic voice and did I mention those cool drums?
Does this writer sound like a fan boy? Yeah. Do I care? Hell no.
At $6 direct from their website, www.thenationalrifle.com, Man Full of Trouble is a short burst of acoustic energy that will leave you panting for more
–Jack Winn