A Band Called Wanda – Roses Are Still Red(Independent)
There’s a little hint of Mumford to A Band Called Wanda’s Roses Are Still Red mini-album / EP. That won’t do them any harm, and they’re good enough songwriters and musicians to be considered contenders rather than also-rans. For your listening pleasure, you can find all six tracks on their MySpace page, but you’ll want a CD to burn to your iPod (please note, other MP3 players are available), so you can dip in anytime. As far as I can ascertain, Roses Are Still Red is their fourth release in five years. Over those years they’ve evolved into a tight folk-rock outfit with both the ability and ambition to try new things - whether its different instruments or Johnny Cash style rat-a-tat rhythms. The best tracks here are crying out to be picked up and put on the radio. The title track’s a doozy – chock full of hooks and urgent. “Where Has The Day Gone” is the sort of country-music-gone-bad that the Folk Devils used to do.
www.myspace.com/abandcalledwanda
Rob F.
