Review: The Calamity Cubes! – Old World’s Ocean

The Calamity Cubes!

Old World’s Ocean

Farmageddon Records

Street: 09.23.12

The Calamity Cubes! = Ugly Valley Boys + Trampled by Turtles

There has been another surge of old-school style country over the last few years, and The Calamity Cubes! are a part of the wave. Twangy banjo, acoustic rhythm guitar and upright bass make up the entirety of the album. Either Brook Blanche or Joey Henry provide vocals on all songs but one, voiced by Kody Oh, making some songs gravelly and others Southern sweet. Lyrical content sticks to traditional themes, such as drinking and the squalor and wonder of love. One of my favorite things about Americana is how it personifies the last few hundred years of American culture, and Cubes! directly follow that pathway. By no means is this album anything “new,” but if you’re into classic mixes of country, folk and bluegrass, this is a good launching point for fall 2014. –LeAundra Jeffs