Hurl Soul Bridge' ... Which Is Your Way'

Dank Records Boston

Grade: B+

Hurl Soul Bridge has made a modest entrance into the Boston rock scene with a refreshingly organic sound. They are the hottest new item from Dank Records Boston and there has already been much debate to decide in which genre their music belongs. Hurl Soul Bridge (HSB) reconciles elements of folk, bluegrass, alternative rock and reggae to create a sphere as diverse as America itself. After all, one should expect diversity from a band that is composed of a bluegrass-loving guitarist from Kentucky (Roadie), a New Yorker whose passion for the bass started with jazz (Kyle), and a Rhode Island-bred drummer who claims his influences are Beanie Man and the Wailers (Wes). It is surprising that even with all these conflicting textures, the overall result is very smooth and evocative of rural Americana.

Dank Records, the label that brought hardcore band Cheech 2000 to the foreground, is known for its honorable support of experimental music. Producer Dave Giangarra has previously worked with DJ Devious, but people who are familiar with his furious fusion of rock and rap will be surprised to see the softer side of Giangarra in "...Which Is Your Way." The album is a testament to the fact that HSB is capable of creating a sound in the spur of the moment and making it linger in the mind for much, much longer.

The overall tempo of the album is slow. The first and ninth tracks, "Mountain Song" and "Long Road," are 16-count, medium tempo songs in the country-western tradition. In these songs, Roadie departs on improvisational solos with the slide guitar that definitely adds a little edge to the otherwise lackluster style.

"Smilin' In The Rain" and "The Screen" sound similar to what I would call Hawaiian country music, with their lilting vocals and tropical melodies. The third track leans more towards folk rock, with the use of a regular acoustic guitar and vocals reminiscent of Elliot Smith.

One of the preeminent tracks on the album is "Puppet Master," a jam track which gradually crescendos into a Grateful Dead-like guitar solo and energetic drum and cymbal sessions.

The title track is reggae-influenced with a touch of funk. Its Rastafarian attitude is reflected in the lyrics of the song: "Rest beside me in the sun / Rememberin' games we played for fun."

Whether it's because of Kyle's soothing vocals, or the ever-so-soft fluctuation of the instrumentals, listening to Hurl Soul Bridge is therapeutic like driving down a country road under the hot summer sun. The cover art was designed by Dana Woulfe, who did a similar piece for the Shekinah album cover, and as her painting suggests, the music in this album warms you up like a cup of afternoon tea. My sole criticism of this album is that it will definitely make you lethargic. You might end up taking a 30-minute nap between tracks one and nine. Nevertheless, it is an impressive piece of work in which you should indulge. Put one foot in, and you might not want to get out of this one.