Two Gallants – The Throes / 2005 Alive Records / 9 Tracks / http://www.twogallants.com / http://www.alive-totalenergy.com / Reviewed 22 April 2005

Two Gallants mesh together Tom Petty, Flogging Molly and Bright Eyes to make an always-rollicking and fun style of music. In fact, the beginning track of “The Throes”, “Your Losin’ Out” has the retro-rock feel down, with Two Gallants making a track that sounds like Jet should sound like, if Jet weren’t one of the least-talented bands of the last twenty-five years. The down-home sound of Two Gallants, especially in the distinct, almost nasal delivery of Adam, makes for an album that is realistic, as opposed to the computer-generated monstrosities of popular music. “Nothing To You” is another bright spot on “The Throes”, strategically re-doing Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” for the new millennium (and improving on it, in my honest opinion.) It is doing “Nothing To You” that the back-up vocals laid down by Tyson really shine, bolstering Adam’s at the best time and standing alone at others. “Crow Jane” is a more introspective track, with so much invested emotionally into the track; while it does not have the wide range of appeal that previous tracks on “The Throes” have, it is no less sincere.

“Fail Hard To Regain” doesn’t fail hard to regain the energy that is so endearing on “The Throes”; rather the twin influences of Billy Joel and Flogging Molly come out in a serious way during the track. Tracks do not end without a bang; rather the 54 minutes of this disc really stay with a listener far beyond the disc’s runtime. Everything on “The Throes” is so rich, Adam’s voice so perfect that the only thing that bands can do at this juncture is try to meekly assume some of the momentum that Two Gallants have. Tracks on “The Throes” might tip the scales at eight minutes, but Two Gallants are intelligent enough to put together tracks that never get near to repetition or ennui.

Two Gallants really have no idea of time on this disc, as the tracks that adorn the ending of “The Throes” are as strong as those that have started the disc out. The noisy nature of the track typically would indicate to listeners a band that sometime loses control of the monsters that a band has created, but Two Gallants have been able to so completely dominate and control the music that is placed on “The Throes” that everything has a purpose. The slower “My Madonna” begins a wind-down to a disc that is perfect at all levels – but I ask, where is there to go from here?

Top Tracks: Nothing To You, Your Losing Out

Rating: 9.3/10