Artist:     The Yawpers

Album:     American Man

Label:     Bloodshot Records

Release Date:     10/30/2015

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If you’re simply looking for another run-of-the-mill folk album to play while meandering on country roads, then the Yawpers may not be your top choice… for all the right reasons. Their album American Man is filled with the same grit and frustration that you can find in some great punk albums. The Denver based trio marries country blues with powerful city punk to make something incredible. Acoustic guitars accompanied by powerful drums make a sound that quickly reminds you that you don’t need to go electric to go hard. The first track, “Doing It Right,” starts off slow, slightly pressing on the gas, but before you know it you’re going full speed. It sets the stage for the rest of the album, encompassing elements of both blues and hard rock. “American Man” slows things down a bit, but still offers moments of full on rock n roll. The minute you think they’re taking it easy, the Yawpers take you right back up to full throttle. They take it down a notch in “Faith and Good Judgement” just to shoot you right back up in “Walter.” The record takes you on one of the best roller coaster rides of your life, making you beg for more. There isn’t one part of the album that lets you fully rest, and that’s one of it’s best qualities.

Powerful music is intertwined with powerful lyrics. In “9 to 5,” you hear the cries for a place to fit in, “You walked across the nation, still found no place on Earth.” Worries come to the surface in “3 A.M.,” with singer and guitarist Nate Cook singing, “They’re coming for your money, they’re coming for your skin, you hear them through the darkness, sitting here at 3 A.M.” In “Tied,” the desire for someone is expressed through S&M undertones, “You tie me to your love, you tie me to your living room chair.” No matter whether you focus on the savage lyrics or forceful instrumentals, American Man finds its way under your skin, first making you uncomfortable then soaking itself right in. The minute you start listening to this album you won’t be able to turn it off. The Yawpers make you want to dance in a crowded room, feeling the need to break everything in sight before running off into the night. They channel punk rock through folk roots to create something truly special.

– Claudia Arnoldo