Indiana farm boys the Rouch Brothers have been recording for over 30 years. Lead singer and eldest Rouch Terry recalls recording his first few songs through an empty paper towel roll back in the late '60s just to "get that freaky sound, man!" Younger Rouch Terry mastered the board and began recording as soon as he could see over the controls, and together the two have an impressive lineup of credits, including
Jack Logan's Mood Elevator, which was recorded in their barn/recording studio in 1995. After much pressure from fans and friends, (including Twin Tone Records founder Peter Jesperson and Logan himself,) the Rouch Brothers have finally officially released some of the thousands of hours of their own material they have accrued over the years.
Big Load comprises 12 of their best, with Terry's low, aurally pleasing vocals and guitars and Jamie's picture-perfect, bottom-end bass and drums anchoring every track. From the slippery, sonically superb intro of the opener, "Workin' with Bob," to the breezy, reflective tones of "Cool or Cold," (one of the best road trip songs to date) right through to humorous countrified nuggets like "She's Done" and "Red-Eyed Devil's Daughter," this album is chock full of pleasant lyrical surprises and surprisingly pleasant picking. ~ Tom Hallett