Rob Wallace and The Mess
Hailing from the Bedford/Cumberland area, Rob Wallace & the Mess introduce a rough, rowdy, and rural-flavored brand of rock on their debut CD, Infidelity in Hi-Fi. Namesake Rob Wallace on vocals, guitar and keyboard; Mark Wigfield on drums and Ryan Wigfield on bass and backing vocals craft a hybrid sound rooted in the classic fuzz-guitar distortion rock of Neil Young & Crazy Horse, serving as the launching pad for excursions into blues, honky tonk, rockabilly/psychobilly and more. Often sporting a gravelly and humble Johnny Cash-like baritone, Rob croons redneck-flavored odes to love, hate, lust, temptation, exorcism of inner and outer demons and more. He makes a play for the farmer's daughter on the rumbling ballad "Harvestin' Time," and portrays the loser undeserving of love on the similar and forlorn "Wildfire." Conversely, he trashes a two-timing white trash queen on the rowdy title song "Infidelity in Hi-Fi," but concedes infidelity himself on the swamp blues-flavored “Somebody Else.” Rob and the Mess pick up the tempo, chase and are chased by demons on the psychobilly-flavored “Up All Night Dreamin’” and “Born Heller Heart;” and blend rock and honky-tonk as Rob finds salvation in a bar on “Divine Intervention.” The album has a prominent ragged, gritty texture; with the weighty rhythms and coarse guitar edge providing the sound’s driving force. Organ and piano nicely flesh out the slower numbers, and saloon-styled piano lends an additional fire and brimstone flavor to “May the Devil Have Mercy on Your Goddamn Soul.” Produced by Mark Poole and the band, and recorded, mixed and mastered at Zone 8 Recording Studio in Morgantown, Infidelity in Hi-Fi has a booming, full and balanced sound. The guitars are jagged, with clever use of occasional flanging and other effects along the way to help paint the mood. The album has a loose feel, lending to the rural feel of the set. Rob Wallace & the Mess weave a fine mess on Infidelity in Hi-Fi, a hearty, strong debut that fans of heavy rural-rooted blues- and country-rock should enjoy. (The CD can be obtained through the group's website, www.robwallaceandthemess.com.)
CD Review
“Infidelity In Hi-Fi” (no label)
