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04 April 2004
Stroller, Six Inches Off the Ground (Compadre)
When you have four musicians who have backed the likes of Ryan Adams, Radney Foster, Kim Richey and Josh Rouse, the idea that you might have what sounds like an Americana or "alt.country" effort on your hands is a good one. And for Stroller, a Nashville band led by Jon Nicholson, what you think is definitely what you get. The half-dozen songs on the EP start with a raunchy pop rocker in "Six Inches". "Hey look at me I'm flying," Nicholson sings with harmonies from Dean Tomasek. It's Southern rock but influenced far more by the Beatles or Tom Petty than Lynard Skynard. "Love Is Alright" is piano-driven and has quite a lot in common with Ryan Adams or Joe Firstman. But at times it brings Train to mind. Thankfully, it's the only drawback as "Janitor Man" is a blues-based rocker that mixes Slobberbone with The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Nicholson even sounds a bit like Steven Tyler in the middle portion before the band really gets rolling. Stroller seem to get everything out of their influences, especially on the sweet and breezy summer pop of "On to Somethin" with just enough twang included. "Sunshine" might be the only quasi-clunker here, but "Back Around" makes you forget about it. Hopefully there's more what this came from....
— Jason MacNeil
.: posted by Editor 9:52 AM
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