Fat Possum Records
Say I Won’t sees the Mississippi rockers return with a measured effort, slick and melodic but lacking the bite of some of their earlier records. Initially a one-man band formed by frontman John Barrett, Say I Won’t is the 1st album written and recorded by the entire band. With the Black Keys’ Patrick Carney providing some help with the production, it’s a polished effort with a crisp, clean sound and a distinctly vintage vibe.
Musically, it’s tight, full of punchy riffs, and packed with melodies, yet it almost feels overproduced. The group’s early efforts, GB City and Bass Drum of Death, had a lovely, lo-fi crunch packed with scuzzy guitars. Say I Won’t is an accomplished effort but feels rather contained, and sometimes you wish the band would let loose. The brief moments when they do are deeply satisfying, and you feel if they could find a middle ground, the band has a great record in them.
Not that Say I Won’t is a bad record; it’s a perfectly enjoyable half an hour of garage rock, full of catchy choruses and memorable hooks. The opener, ‘Find It’, typifies their approach, rattling along to its catchy chorus, while Barret drops his voice at points into a nice faux-falsetto. ‘Head Change’ has a nice fuzzy aesthetic but feels a little restrained, like there’s a monster chorus lurking in there, which is being suppressed. ‘No Soul’ is a highlight, harnessing the energy of some of the band’s early works with its punchy riffs.
‘Say Your Prayers’ has echoes of 70s glam-rock, with its short sharp riffs and catchy chorus. ‘Keys to the City’ has a lovely intro, with some dirty guitar riffs, but sadly the rest of the track falls a little flat, never really getting out of second gear. ‘Wait’ is another highlight, with a fantastic hook throughout, while the ending is one of the rare moments the group really let loose. ‘Swerving’ has a lovely, dense bassline, but ‘White Vine’ is another track that could benefit from some added bite.
‘No Doubt’ goes full retro with its slinky, cowboy-esque riffs powering the track along. ‘Everybody’s Gonna Be There’ is another highlight, packed with sharp, punky energy, Barret’s voice reminiscent of Jim Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain. ‘Say I Won’t is the album’s scuzziest moment, reverbing guitars crashing into each other, another indicator of the band’s potential when they really cut loose. The closer, ‘Too Cold to Hold’, is a revamped single from 2020; sadly, it has been stripped of its lovely raw aesthetic, another moment where everything feels a bit too polished.
Say I Won’t is a fine effort, but it feels like the band are playing a little too safe and have strayed too far from their roots. Regardless, the hooks are plentiful, and Barret’s vocals are excellent; he has a superb ability to carry a melody. It’s a perfectly pleasant listen but lacks a bit of bite.