Customer Reviews

Noble Creatures

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'd heard the Gourds before, but wasn't knocked by them. Their new disc is nothing short of spectauclar. It sounds like a more mature band than before; Promenade aches like a classic country ballad. How Will You Shine employs horns in a tune about how to face the dark times in life, and I can't stop listening to it. Moon Going Down is just a gorgeous mid-tempo tune.

That's not to say the guys aren't having fun. The Gyroscopic simply kicks, along with A Few Extra Kilos and Cranky Mulatto (which has a great cajun/zydeco sound). The demented country shuffle Red Letter Days sounds like some 50s honky tonk outtake; it might be my favorite track.Before this disc, the other Gourds material I heard was good, but the entire albums weren't of this quality. I haven't heard all their albums, but I'm familiar with their past three.

It's hard to describe this music; people keep comparing them to The Band, but the Gourds are so much more fun and enjoyable to listen to. They mix rock, folk, country, and blues into a stew. I can't label it; it's just good music, and I hope more people hear it.

I've come to expect the musicianship to be top notch from the Gourds and "Noble Creatures" lives up big time. But it is the singing and flawless production that puts this outing over the top. Never have they sounded so strong and confident. This is one of those CD's that just gets better with every listen.

It's an easy task being a Gourd's fan these days. This well-traveled quintet of stellar musicians from Austin, TX, have, with their latest offering, "Noble Creatures," retained their signature, cross-cutting fusion of musical genres and finely burnished their sound so that it glows. And their signature warped humor, off-beat insights, and stop-did-they- really-say-that lyrics make for some fun listening.

On this set of songs, more slice-of-life vignettes for the "well read and unwashed," the Gourds launch from their familiar country-bluegrass-folk-roots-rock platform and incorporate some new flourishes. The opening track features horns and on others the organ shines, or the pedal steel, or the guitars. None of these are radical departures for the Gourds, but the new elements keep things fresh.

Perhaps the inclusion of four ballads may strike some twinge of fear into the hearts of long-time Gourd's fans, but those songs really work well, are easy on the ears (but tough on the heart), and offer a nice balance to the mix of tunes here. This long-running collaboration continues making some of the best music around. Fans of the band know, too, that "Gourds' music," as it is often pegged, is something special. I throwing all five stars at this album.

I consider The Gourds to be one of the all-time greatest bands, right up there with The Beatles. Am I getting carried away? Hardly. Nine albums in, this Austin band continues to write impossibly memorable songs, and not just a few here and there, but whole albums worth. Multiple ridiculously talented song writers in one band who can't seem to burn out. The songs are hilarious, unbearably heart breaking, profound, and ludicrous. And the musicianship is astronomical. To see them live is transcendent, but in the funnest possible sense.
Noble Creatures is a beautiful record. The lyrics are potent, the music delicious, and the singing--as always--top notch. Buy it now. Then work backwards in their catalog until you own all nine, as I do. You're welcome.

Not as "Gourdsesque" as their past albums, but the whole albumn is more than enjoyable. "Promenade" is as sweet and passionate as anything theyve done. The other ballads like "Steeple Full of Swallows" work well on the album too. The more traditional "Flavor on the Toungue" should satisfy those who might have a problem with the Gourds straying slightly from their past albumns. A sure buy....I'm definately going to check them out live next time they're around!!

One of the best bands out there...amazing.

what else to say?
do you like rock or roll, true country, bluegrass, zydeco, the blues, moan n' wail jump-up whiskey and watermelon soaked soul?

OK, then buy this NOW.

That could be a good thing, or that could be a less than good thing, depending how you look at it.

If you stumbled upon the Gourds searching for the "Country Gin and Juice", then this may seem a little less than good.

If you have followed the boys through the years, this just becomes another great recording in the procession, steeped through time and experience.

Get all the Gourds you can, hurry. American music with intelligence, humor, and honesty. See them live too!

Sorry guys, but this is by far the weakest Gourds album to date. Take a look at my reviews and you'll see I gave most Gourds efforts 5 stars, and a two 4 stars. But I can't bring myself to give them 4 for Noble Creatures.

There are too many ballads from Kev. Don't get me wrong: I'm a big fan of Kev's ballads. However, these just aren't as good as classics such as "Raining In Port Arthur," or "Our Patriarch." "Promenade" is talked up, but I'm not a fan of the song. In fact, "Last Letter," featuring melodic, flowing violin and guitar is the best ballad. "Moon Gone Down" is quite likeable, and "Flavor On the Tongue" is creative and catchy. Finally, a classic Gourds' live song, "Cranky Mulatto" is a lot of fun. We want more of this stuff Kev!

Jimmy does not have one strong contribution on this album. I can barely stomach most of his tunes on Noble Creatures. I don't know what's up with Jimmy, but his strong songwriting has petered out after "Cow, Fish, Fowl or Pig." Also unfortunate is the fact that Max doesn't have any contributions on this album either.

I got the feeling The Gourds had one more album on their contract and had to knock it out. The quality and creativity is nowhere near par. Unlike every other Gourds album, this one just can't find its way into the CD player. I can't wait for the next effort--hopefully I can give that one 5 stars...

I am a huge fan of the Gourds, but this recording was really awful. The usual clever lyrics are missing and the interesting music with unusual instruments is non-existent. We listened to the CD twice and gave it away. Huge disappointment.