Archie Powell & The Exports - Skip Work
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Archie Powell & The Exports are the weekend; they are the late-night moments of glory and the up side of down. Powell leads with an optimistic flare, making light of the difficult and dark things in life (e.g. big moves, heartbreak, pain, etc.). He’s the kind of man working on a dream, one that he – as well as The Exports – all hold close to the heart. It’s this pride and enthusiasm for their dream – that is their music – that carries them through the workweek and allows them to be endearing.
After the band’s well-received Loose Change EP, they moved from Wisconsin to Chicago and recorded their debut LP, Skip Work. It’s an album rooted in good old rock ‘n’ roll, with songs powered by bluesy chord progressions and heady, crunchy power chords. Powell and Co. are a no BS type of band, and it shows in songs like “Enough About Me” and “Fighting Words.” Skip Work is characterized by the straightforward attitude of The Replacements, the working-man ethos of Springsteen, and the powerpop spirit and infectious energy of Elvis Costello. Powell sings with a natural fervor and sounds like a less-nasally, more rock ‘n’ roll version of John Flansburgh – with witty, whimsical, and meaningful lyrics and themes to boot.
On songs like “Enough About Me” and “Follow Through,” Powell displays his tasteful, melodic guitar chops. “Fighting Words” finds Powell howling through a cover of a reverb-coated megaphone over a landscape of organ hop and wail. “Mattson Is A Flake” features a short-but-sweet keys solo and an emotional punch that hits hardest in its plump choruses. Overall, the band works well together, with Powell and bassist Adam Export providing the meat, Ryan Export providing the dressing, and RJ Export the fine china upon which it all rests.
The weakness of Skip Work lies in its use of familiar chord phrasings – though it never becomes too much of a problem. There’s a level of classicism to the band and, at times, they lean on their influences a bit too much, despite a clear ability to one up themselves. As a full introductory statement, Skip Work proves the band has a lot more to offer down the road.
Archie Powell & The Exports prove themselves to be a rock ‘n’ roll band with powerpop tendencies and pop accessibility. The band does rock without pretention, coming across more as a group of good old friends that’ll always be there for you. Skip Work is a call to the frustrated and hard-luck folks to free themselves from inhibitions and the stress of their lives. It’s an album that reminds us that good times – the good in life’s little things - aren’t difficult to find, if you know where to look. One song at a time, Powell & The Exports remind us that happiness doesn’t cost a thing.
BUY: Skip Work is out now. You can pick it up on Amazon
, Amazon MP3
, Bandcamp, iTunes, or directly from the band here.
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