The Deal: Charlotte quartet independently releases eight-track album, Smells Like Vegas.
The Good: Combining elements of numerous styles, Heywire’s music isn’t easy to describe. One minute it sounds like a jam band, the next Americana and the next straight-up rock. That’s not to say the music is confused – the diversity fuses well into something of its own. Solid harmonies, splashes of banjo and acoustic guitars and moments of flashy electric guitar solos show the depth in songwriting.
The Bad: No complaints, though the eight tracks roll past quickly at just over 31 minutes. The stripped-down feel of “Innocence” and the sped-up bluegrass of “Rocky Mountain Drive” felt a little out of place, but that’s not to say they were bad songs.
The Verdict: The band has created its own sound that, while it sounds relatively basic, on second listen soaks up a variety of genres – folk, rock, jam, bluegrass, funk and more.
This article appears in Oct 7-14, 2008.
