Search - Buffalo Killers :: Let It Ride

Solid 2nd album, even if it lacks the element of surprise

Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 07/22/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Buffalo Killers rose from the ashes for Thee Shams in early 2006, as the bothers Gabbard and Joseph Sabaali decided to carry on in a new musical direction. Their self-titled debut album came out in the Fall of 2006, to much critical acclaim. The Black Crowes' Robinson brothers fell in love as well, and have taken Buffalo Killers on the road with them regularly. After non-stop touring, the highly awaited second album finally arrives.



"Let It Ride" (10 tracks, 44 min.) continues in the vein of the debut album, a lot of "down and dirty" classic R&B guitar-driven music, not unlike, say, Cream in its late 1960s heydays. The music opens up a bit more on this album with, gasp, even guitar solos. My favorite tracks on here include the opener "Get Together Now Today", "If I Get Myself Anywhere", the really heavy "It's a Shame" (my favorite track on the album with one of those searing guitar solos), and the next-to-last track, a very rocking "Take Me Back Home". In all, this is a very solid album , albeit lacking a bit the element of surprise that was the debut album.



I have to give a shout-out to the fact that Buffalo Killers are from Cincinnati (home of such other up-and-coming indie-rock bands like Wussy, Bad Veins, Pomegranates, the Sundresses, Lions Rampant, Wussy, Diet Audio, the Hiders, and many others) and I've had the pleasure to see the guys in concert locally a number of times over the last 2 1/2 years. Live they bring that extra kick that you may not always hear on the studio tracks. And if you wonder where you can hear those guys, check out internet-only WOXY ("Bam! The Future of Rock and Roll!"), which is, bar none, the best indie-rock station in the country."

It's okay.

John Macmunn | Western Mass | 06/24/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The album felt really bland compared to the first album. Get Together Now is the only great song. The rest just kind of blended together as I listened up to Heart In Your Hand, which is good. Nothing moved me like the first album. A couple songs I just plain don't like. It's fine as background or driving music, if I need something soft. But if I really want to listen to an album, I'd take the first ten time out of ten. Overall, disappointing."

Great follow up album

The Dude | EH CT | 11/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sophemore jinx ???? Whats that apparenlty what the Buffalo Killers said with the release of this album.......





1. GET TOGETHER NOW TODAY ----- this is a great hippie esc song.

2. LET IT RIDE ----- the single of the cd some great psychedelic ring to it guitar work sounds like an old screaming tree record with BK's own lycs.

3. LEAVE THE SUN BEHIND ----- sounds like a song that you would have. heard from their first record, it has that spirtual trip essence to it with the great harmonizing of the guitar punched in.

4. IF I GET MYSELF ANYWHERE ------ song about being out on the road, has a similar guitar lick to SS Nowhere simple yet bueatiful.

5. GIVE AND GIVE ------- you get another hippie trip to start off then they just start to jam out on this track

6. ON THE PROWL ------ one of my fav.s off the album bought a chick "Youll never hear my say ...Iam going back to her"

7. IT'S A SHAME ------ great structure and of course the great harmonizing solo

8. HEART IN YOUR HAND ------ gets the essence of being out on the road writing back to their chicks missing them

9. TAKE ME BACK HOME ------ well I think that the title pretty much speaks for itself

10. BLACK PAPER ----- another great closer to the cd just like the first album this song will have you wanting more from the BK's



Overall a great 2nd album if you liked the first I find it impossible how you would'nt like this one....

Buffalo Killers are still very far from recognition due to dipping no where near the mainstream , which is a great thing... However they really do need to get recognized in some kind of promoting or something. Their sound is to great and they are to talented not to be heard by all of those people out there who dont know who they are. Keep em comin fellas you got a life time fan right here !!!!!!!!"