Steady as a sailing ship

Chains Are Broken was released on August 24 by New West Records. This marks the sixth full-length album for the Santa Cruz, California natives and the band’s third with New West Records. The album was produced by Ted Hutt, who has previously worked with the likes of Flogging Molly, Old Crow Medicine Show and The Gaslight Anthem.

This is the first album of new material released by the group since 2013’s I’m A Stranger Here. Singer, guitarist and principal songwriter on Chains Are Broken, Pete Bernhard, said in an interview that he wanted to make this album more personal. “You could think of [our songs] as chapters of a book,” he said. “They all have some sort of narrative.”

While the band’s barn-burning, old-time spirit from their earlier hits is still present at the heart of each track, the band has expanded their sound to feature more folk and country influences on Chains Are Broken. Alas, an artist must evolve, and this by no means is a criticism of the album. This pre-conception will give listeners a deeper appreciation of the track “Deep Down,” with its one-and-two “Carter Family picking” style rhythm, chugging melody and flowing electricity throughout the 161 seconds of sounds.

The title track of “Chains Are Broken” features ghostly harmony chorus vocals and a rhythm like a calm current. “Pray for Rain” is faster and has more energy than its track order predecessor and has the rhythm for a honky-tonk mosh pit. “Paint My Face” is another stable rhythm track that has a backing organ faintly heard in the background, giving this track more than a few creepy notes to add to the vibe of the song. “Can’t Stop” has a very raw guitar tone that is reminiscent of “Queen Jane Approximately,” in addition to Bernhard channeling his inner Dylan-esque capabilities singing on this rollicking, clapping, upbeat number.

The trio has a multi-colored voice when they combine together during certain sections on Chains Are Broken. Cooper McBean has a slightly deeper voice than Bernhard, giving the lead singer’s vocals a deeper and heavier resonance. Upright bassist Lucia Turino’s tenor is the easiest to pick out of the three, but it is a grand part of making the choruses and harmonies stand out.

“Bad Idea” is one of the strongest tracks with its Tom Petty steady rhythm. The one-second pause in-between the verse and the chorus successfully builds up anticipation before the three launch into belting out the name of the song.  The album ends on a surprisingly light note with “Curtains Rise” and “Castles,” the latter of which has a laidback melody and reverb-laden guitar tone that make it an oddity among the spooky and countrified tracks on the album.

Overall, Chains Are Broken is very well-produced and sounds crisp and clear. There’s a country sound, there’s a folk sound and there’s an old-timey touch that old fans can still appreciate. With barely any bells and whistles and just a little bit of polish, Chains Are Broken showcases a veteran band with no signs of wear, tear or slowing down yet. In fact, they’re running free.