Left Lane Cruiser – Junkyard Speed Ball (2011)

Fort Wayne, Indiana roots rock duo Left Lane Cruiser are preparing to unleash yet another countrified and blues-filled album on Alive Naturalsound Records. That’s right, singer and vocalist Fredrick J. Evans IV and drummer and junk percussionist Brenn “Sausage Paw” Beck are still at it, tellin’ ya’ll to bring yo’ assess to the table, where they’re serving up heaping mounds of all you can eat music. And their music, as expected, remains true to the formula that has worked so well for them since their inception in 2004 — a mighty signature sound of dirty, aggressive blues and foot-stompin’ alt-country.


“Junkyard Speed Ball” makes for the two-piece powerhouse’s fourth full-length album, featuring twelve searing new songs, all of which make it pretty darn clear that these two good ol’ boys ain’t quitting anytime soon. Left Lane Cruiser is in its prime, if anything. “Lost My Mind,” the new album’s opener, is definitely one of the more standout tracks, with echoing harmonica, a killer riff, a driving drumbeat, and a flow of gritty vocals. “Circus” stands out as well, with some wicked slide guitar, insane drumming, and howling vocal delivery. After that I’d have to say the fourth track “Shine” is one of the more notable songs, with its catchy note progressions and punctuating snare hits, and of course Fredrick’s vocals, which sound as if they’re being sung through a big rig’s staticy CB radio. “At the Denny’s,” the album’s closer, is another one, to be sure, with plenty of distorted electric guitar bits and a steady beat, like a late night run in a rusted-out ’72 Chevy Nova, with clear plastic taped over the windows, large crack in the windshield, busted headlight, and smoking engine.
During their live shows, Fredrick J. Evans IV handles his guitar one moment like something precious he may never get to touch again, and the next he attacks the strings in a fury of fingers and slide, alternately picking and strumming, frantically but with all the precision and dexterity in the world. Brenn “Sausage Paw” Beck goes to town on his drums, pounding at times like a crazed individual, while at other times playing with a good deal of restraint. There are even times when Brenn sits back from the kit altogether and uses a washboard or junk percussion.