If you love quality music, you couldn’t miss Joe Stamm Band, this summer. After a brilliant EP, “Fort Smith“, released on July 14th, they released a new album, on August 11th, named “Wild Man“.
Defining their music is a hard task. If you ask them, this Midwestern band from Central Illinois will tell you that it’s black dirt country rock. Indeed, you’ll find on their new album traditional country music, rock songs and red dirt music. But no matter the genre, what makes “Wild Man” unique is the captivating songwriting and the high quality of the music.
Produced by Joe Stamm (who wrote all the songs), Dave Glover and Joe Carrell, and recorded in Treasure Isle Studios, Nashville, the third LP of the band is undoubtedly one of the best albums released this year.
It’s difficult to name an outstanding song, as there’s too much quality there.
If you love real and traditional country, with excellent pedal steel and fiddle, you’ll have on repeat the beautiful and catchy “The Day Before” and you’ll love “Second Coat of Paint”, with its fantastic storytelling. But most of all, you’ll be strongly impressed by “Dollar General Sign“, undoubtedly one of the best country songs released this year. “My Old Home“, the beautiful “Old Man” and “Grandma’s Bible“, all excellently written, are also awesome country songs.
You’ll also find on this album great guitars and brilliant country rock songs, as the fantastic “Predators and Prey“, the amazing and catchy “Timber” and the brilliant “Listen“.
If you love red dirt music, “Ahold of My Heart” is made for you. When listening to its intro, with such brilliant fiddle, it’s impossible not to think about Turnpike Troubadours.
Last but not least, the title track is a red dirt banger, with brilliant songwriting and fantastic guitar. When it was released as a single, in May, its style and music immediately made me think about Shane Smith and the Saints. Needless to say, this gem was on repeat for me all along the summer.
If you haven’t listened to “Wild Man“, don’t wait : with its brilliant songwriting, its fantastic country and red dirt style, and Joe Stamm’s tremendous voice, this album is a masterpiece.
Nicolas Davelu
Country Music France 