LOVE AND A 38

Nomads (2016)

Okay. So Love And A .38 have been plugging away at their craft since 2009, with one self-titled EP and numerous singles under their collective belts. To describe their sound, I pretty much gave it away at the start. There's classic hard rock, melodic, heavy at times, definitely groove-laden and catchy, with notable smattering of American blues. You'll catch the last within songs like Oh My God, Holy War, and Just Like Regret. When I hear these songs, another picture comes to mind. Love And A .38 should be from the UK.

After this description, some additional thoughts. Having a blues angle to his sound, guitarist Domo Domaracki certainly understands rock's roots. But overall, between riffs and leads his guitar lines are smart and sharp, definitely adding an edge to the band's presence. You'll probably find this comment curious, but vocalist Ryan Hudson reminds me of Bono. Yeah, that Bono. Hudson doesn't sound one bit like Paul David Hewson, but he definitely has the same versatility in delivery. Then there's the production or how the band sounds as opposed to what their chosen hard rock genre. There's a real raw feeling at times to the Love And A .38's hard rock. Like garage rock, yet with the polish, not of embellishment, but of experience and energy. And energy may summarize Love And A .38 in a word. I'm guessing in live performance, the band is loud, rowdy, and raucous, yet without diminishing the inherent melody, harmony, and groove they also so easily invoke. Nope, boys and girls. Rock is not dead in America. You just have to look under the radar. Check out Love And A .38's Nomads. I think you'll dig it.


Tracklist .

1. Oh My God
2. Just Like Regret
3. Went Away
4. Abre Los Ojos
5. Big Leg Betty
6. Holy War
7. I Won’t Wait
8. Not Comin Home
9. Born to Make Me Die
10. Get It Right