From the ashes of Lawrence, Kansas' beloved
emo
rockers
the Anniversary
rises
the Only Children
, a sextet fixated on the holistic vibes of vintage
Neil Young
,
the Band
and
the Allman Brothers
. And from its title to its execution, principal songwriter and frontman
Josh Berwanger
makes no bones about the disc's sound shift, launching
Change of Living
with
"Sky Begins to Storm,"
a gin mill
ballad
that features the sweet harmonies of
Heidi Gluck
. The album's namesake has far different pacing -- it's a
Lynyrd Skynyrd
-esque whiskey-saturated
Southern rock
romp complete with cowbell -- but the bulk of the set is far more subdued. Of the material,
"Before It Fades"
stands out with the help of
country-blues
fretman
T.K. Webb
, and while
Berwanger
's songs are good, his convincing, lovelorn pipes are what sell
"Through the Night"
"West Virginia."
Sure, leaving the
Vagrant Records
stable for the
alt-country
world is a drastic move, but
seem to champion change. ~ John D. Luerssen