MUSIC REVIEW: COUNTRY MICE - 'TWISTER'

Alt-Country Magic Mixed with Indie-Rock Readiness on a Brave & Breezy Debut

By: Jess Gronewold

June 15, 2011

(Wao Wao Records) With their debut album, Twister, Country Mice has blended everything you love in rock, alt country, indie rock, and even a little punk together to form a sound that fuses itself to your very being. You feel like you are in the small town in Kansas where frontman Jason Rueger grew up. You can hear the loneliness, the desperation, hell, even the dry, dusty wasteland as you listen. Yet Country Mice have a way of making even the most barren and desolate place sound cooler than it is. Through the wailing vocals and folky guitars, you can picture yourself as the outsider in these surroundings.

Rueger forces his way into your head, repeating “get ‘em out of my walls, get ‘em out of my walls” in the song “Ghost.” You can feel yourself becoming more paranoid and crazy as the music goes, but you like it. The dueling guitars and surging beat take you into this world where ghosts and critters live in your walls and drive you to madness. Rueger’s vocals give you both a calming and stressed sensation. This track heaves alt-country in your face.

Adding a little more country to the sound of Twister is “Morning Son,” with the sound of the slide guitar and a change from your standard syncopation. This song surrounds you with an upbeat-sounding song, but if you’re truly listening, you’ll find the bitterness and sadness. It’s sort of like smiling when you want to scream out on the inside. As you take the song in, you’ll feel like you should be two-stepping but with a tear in your eye.

“Worn Hearts” slows things down. Lyrically, this track is down and lonely -- one of the songs you listen to when you need a friend who understands and can lend an ear. Musically, it is more great complementary guitars and a steady beat from drummer Kurt Kuehn. Your heart aches with every word Rueger sings.

The band gets a little more rock and psychedelic in “Clover.” It's noisy and guitar heavy while pausing for more simplistic riffs from each guitar. This song could easily fit into a Tarantino film. It transports you to somewhere hot and dreary with merely the instrumentation.

“Meet me down at the festival” should be playing in your car now. “Festival” amps up the rock ‘n' roll with all members playing in unison frequently throughout the tune. The beat is quick, the guitars wail, and the vocals are gritty. It has a '70s style, and you can almost hear those small-town kids singing this to one another. It’s fun and catchy. Put this on your next road trip mix!

Country Mice have really delivered with their debut album. Twister is a great album filled with blended musical genres, vivid imagery, and powerful musicianship. It brings you country without the twang and with much more attitude, and never forgets its rock roots. Pick up this album, and let Country Mice paint the scenery in your imagination for a while.

Standout Tracks: “Ghost,” “Morning Sun,” “Worn Hearts,” “Clover,” “Festival”

For Fans Of: My Morning Jacket, Monsters of Folk, Ryan Adams, White Stripes, Wilco