Two Gallants - What the Toll Tells

Two Gallants are a rough and tumble, free-spirited duo who combine elements of traditional folk music with a punk rock approach. A gritty guitar/drums combo, Adam Stephens and Justin Vogel should appeal to those who find The White Stripes a bit too user-friendly. Much of the duo’s music retains a spiritual kinship with folk groups of decades past. Many songs on What the Toll Tells are hard luck tales of people on the fringe of society. “Las Cruces Jail” opens the record with a bang, harkening back to the days when outlaws ruled country music. For all the group’s energy, their best work comes on the album’s tender moments. “Some Slender Rest,” “Threnody in Minor B” and closing track “Waves of Grain” hit the intended emotional notes, reverberating with soul and sadness. The beauty of those tracks makes other songs on the album all the more astonishing and baffling. The inclusion of “Long Summer Day,” a modernized work song, has been skewered by other reviewers who question the right a pair of white musicians has to attempt a portrayal of racism, using contextually appropriate epithets. The problem with the song comes not in intent, but execution. The upbeat, carefree musical language used to frame this subject is a poor match. Additionally, tracks like “16th St. Dozens” and “Age of Assassins” seem too eager to put a modern spin on the folk song, delving into ill-advised periods of punk, reggae and something on “16th St. Dozens” that approximates ska. These songs illustrate the greatest flaw of What the Toll Tells, a tendency by Stephens/Vogel to come on too strong. Four of the album’s nine tracks exceed eight minutes in length, causing some of the group’s more valiant efforts to appear overdramatic and wearisome. While possessing some very notable faults, there is enough quality material here to warrant investigation by those who appreciate songs with a story. If Stephens and Vogel can control the urge to overly emote, the promise of their future work is great. [www.twogallants.com]