Ever since my days as a music director at WOBC in Oberlin, OH (one of the best college stations in the country without question), I actively do not read press materials when reviewing a CD/LP/Cassette/Mini Disc/Mini CD/Whatever stupid format an artist has sent their album in. The reason for this is that the press materials are usually incorrect. It is as if they are written by interns who only listen to top 40 radio and were told what the album is supposed to sound like. Sometimes, they might luck into it, but most times, they don’t; they crash and burn like a MIG getting shot down by Maverick and Goose.

When I got the promo materials for Country Mice’s debut album Twister, the words “markedly country” were used in describing the band’s sound, which gave me great excitement. I’ve been listening to a lot of classic and modern country over the past year and was expecting something to call upon that sort of sound. I didn’t get anything actually close to that. What I did end up getting was a thoroughly compelling rock album with a rural heart.

The rural heart comes from the upbringing of lead singer and songwriter Jason Rueger. Raised in a small Kansas town of less than 300 people, Rueger’s songs speak to the boredom and desolation that is felt by anyone who has lived in these spaces and wanted to do something bigger than get by. A song like “Morning Son,” which features slowly played guitars accented with a pedal steel and clicking drums, is an example of this spirit. The song is sparse and the pedal steel accents the haunting lyrics, evoking the feelings of loneliness and depression that can come from rural living. It is as if we have a direct window into the world of a lonely country boy. The strength of this album, though, comes from Country Mice the band, not just Rueger’s lyrics.

Twister succeeds because Country Mice have developed their own sound, one that moves them easily from song to song. While there are certainly some country elements, they are more Wilco than Ernest Tubb. There are some country hallmarks in the steel guitar and some of the guitar playing, but little else. The rock sound is much more prevalent in their music to me. On “Festival,” they recall a little bit of The White Stripes and Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Later in the album, they share a spiritual connection to J. Mascis and Dinosaur Jr. in displaying some straight-ahead guitar heroics. In the end, Country Mice use these influences to create an Americana sound that blends elements from country and rock into a twangy mix perfect for a hot summer day or a cold winter’s night.

At under 32 minutes, Twister is over and done before you can put your beer on ice. This is only a problem because you want the album to stay around longer because it is engaging and has a plainly excellent Americana sound, one that seems far too competent to come from a bunch of boys living in Brooklyn. Anyone who likes their rock and roll/ alt-country with a bit of heart should check this album out as they will not be disappointed in the slightest. I expect to see big things from Country Mice in the future.

I have attached the aforementioned “Morning Son” to provide a sample of what’s going on here:
Morning Son