The sophomore album is risky business. Folks have set expectations, comparisons are made, judgments are cast. Despite these natural occurrences of human error, New Madrid is following up their debut, Yardboat, with Sunswimmer.
The first minute or so sounds like the delicate ending to their previous album, transcending into a new beginning of fresh grit. Sunswimmer grows out of the soil in which Yardboat was harvested, but with a whole new yield, covering more ground than ever before.
They have only expanded onto their own distinct sound, bringing on waves of old punk rock and janglin’ psychobilly. They do quite the job of mending tracks into dawning orchestras that embody the spirits of itself. New Madrid is bound to set sail through Proud Larry’s on Saturday, February 15th. Come score some buried treasure and some, wait for it, new New Madrid.
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To read my review of New Madrid’s Yardboat from TLV #187 (published September 5, 2013), click HERE.
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This review was originally printed in TLV #197 (published February 6, 2014). To download a PDF of this issue, click HERE.
