The John Henrys - Sweet As The Grain

First impressions of The John Henrys are of a band desperate to be authentic: a matt-finished album cover adorned with a simple line-drawing of wheat, and framed with the band's moniker in a Wild West font, signposts a country act concerned with tradition over experimentation. The title track, Sweet As The Grain, does little to dispel this impression, practically reeking of bourbon and overweight rednecks yeehawing as they dance in the thousand-odd identikit bars that must have seen this band hone their craft. Underneath the surface of this album however, lies a homage to '60s garage rock (particularly The Rolling Stones), and there are even shades of Nirvana and The Clash in places. Having four band members write and sing certainly adds to the schizophrenia, although their attempt to homogenise their sound by drowning everything in country-style guitar work is irritating. One to avoid then, for those who can't get down to a steel guitar. [Ewen Millar]