The leader of this american band, Benjamin Tod, singer-songwriter and guitarist, lived a life that here in Italy we have seen in many movies. Restless teenager ran away from home at 16 (now he is 31) and travelled literally on the road for years, jumping up and down from freight trains, sleeping under bridges and even in some prison, struggling against addictions that took away many of his friends. He doesn’t just tell true stories that take your heart and soul, he really lived them. Together with his lifelong partner, Ashley Mae, a violinist and excellent singer, with whom he shares a love story far from quiet for 15 years now. A trio completed today by bassist Jeff Loops. A band that over the years has used crowdfunding to produce and record their records and is now on its fifth release. Formed in 2010 by the couple together with another couple of musicians, Nicholas and Shannon Jae Ridout, over the years has created a nice following among lovers of country music bluegass and independent American, despite the tragedy that struck in 2013, when Nicholas Ridout, committed suicide by depriving the world of independent music and the band of a great songwriter. Weight of a Trigger is composed of 10 beautiful songs of true country outlaw but also has many bluegrass and American influences. Tod can be considered one of the most appreciated of the genre and has also already released 2 solo albums equally qualitative. The texts are the story will be told in 3 parts by Thomas Clancy Russell, a story of Frontier, of passionate and destructive loves and addictions, demons that hover and redemption that is late to arrive. To understand the feeling that pervades the record just press play and listen to the intense ballad anchored to the roots, To Heaven from Here, with the wonderful sound of the violin by Ashley Mae that envelops the whole of a melancholy so damn country, pedal-steel is the final touch to a really successful piece. The sound takes the soul, the heart and it is a feeling that leaves none of the 10 pieces, from the acoustic and dusty Given up a faith, with that harmonica that reminds the old western movies, where the outlaw rode towards the sunset playing and whistling sad melodies, to the ride of Without a doubt, with the banjo that intersects with the violin and give a truly remarkable performance. The record is self-produced but the sound is perfect and the dust seems to come out of the speakers and invade the room. Melancholy it is but desire of revenge and sun on the face. The text is perhaps the one that most refers to the past of the life of the frontman, a life that marked him but from which he has with difficulty managed to get out. The title-track is the sum of all these feelings, and the voice of Tod sings it with intensity and crudeness, violence that seems the only solution but that does not bring redemption or peace but only other destruction. A piece that can easily be a soundtrack, very cinematic but so sincere and true to leave you amazed. The jewel of the record is Lazy Moonshiner, not because it is a song about whiskey in a country record and therefore inevitable but because it is a piece written by the late band’s partner Nicholas Ridout, that the trio honors with a song that keeps the feeling of the record, a ballad that the Mae violin leads between the Canyon and the prairie. A non-commercial record, not radio, not easy to listen to but for this reason it leaves inside that good taste of real feelings, among sand dunes, smoking Colt, addictions and yearning loves, redemption sought but almost never found. Listen slowly and assimilate carefully, you will not regret it.
Good listening,
Trex Willer by http://www.ticinonotizie.it
(you can find original italian article at this link : https://www.ticinonotizie.it/ascoltati-da-noi-per-voi-by-trex-roads-lost-dog-street-band-weight-of-a-trigger-2019/ )
