Vigilantes Of Love is a talented twosome featuring the songs and singing of Bill Mallonee, and the jack-of-all-trades instrumental work of Billy Holmes. These fine Georgians have joined together, under the experienced production umbrella of Peter Buck of R.E.M. and (the late) Mark Heard, to compile a sixteen song album which ranges from up-to-the-minute musings on the current affects of the American recession, and reaches all the way back to The Civil War to find its inspiration.
Mallonee's voice can sound like Bruce Cockburn's one minute, and They Might Be Giants the next. The upbeat numbers feature Mallonee's furious acoustic guitar strumming in conjunction with Holmes' tasteful mandolin plucking, to create the aural effect of a freight train running full steam into your living room.
Sometimes Mallonee's songs lose their effectiveness when he tries to sing too many words, too fast, and ends up sounding like a nervous thesaurus. But the moment VOL settles down into a comfortable acoustic rock groove, his words explode with great power.
The best song here is one which tells the story of a soldier who longs to come home from the Civil War alive. It's called "Andersonville," and it's set to heart-tugging waltz meter which brings to mind the Pogues.
The Vigilantes are at their funniest when Mallonee, tongue-in-cheek, advises all to join him for a ride on the "Hip Train," and in an un-hip deprecating manner sings, "Ain't no saint, ain't no prophet/Ain't no angel, ask my wife about it."
Killing Floor features about eight great songs, and another eight good to so-so songs, which could have been left off. Consumers would do well to purchase some high-quality blank tape along with this VOL release. Much like Springsteen's The River, and Sandanista by the Clash, there's a near perfect album hidden here. Do yourself a favor and find it.
(Ed.: Vigilantes of Love recorded this newest album with the late, great Mark Heard and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck sharing production duties. Since the release at Cornerstone through Heard's own un-distributed Fingerprint label, Sky Records, an indie funded by folk in R.E.M. and the Indigo Girls, has picked up Killing Floor, but distribution may still be a problem in your area.)
4/5