The Whiskey Charmers “Streetlights” Album Review by Ken Capobianco

June 8, 2024

The new album from Michigan rockers The Whiskey Charmers, “Streetlights,” elevates their sound to new heights, thanks to some of their most compelling songs, filled with yearning, melancholy, and tentative optimism. The band, led by vocalist/lyricist Carrie Shepard and mercurial guitarist Lawrence Daversa, delivers a confident and evocative set of songs that offers an unflinchingly honest look at love’s disappointments and people who live in the shadows just off the outskirts of town. Many of the songs have a Car Wheels on a Gravel Road feel and, at times, evoke No Depression era rock, but they have a unique sound that splits the difference between Americana and rural rock.

While the finest tracks on the band’s fifth album (“Don’t Mean Nothin,’” “There’s Black”) tilt toward poignant existential doubt or regret, this isn’t a sturm and twang affair.  The album’s finest track, “Black Ridge Cave” is a revenge tale with the narrative economy of latter-day Springsteen and echoes of a John Ford western. It closes with an explosive, melodic solo from Daversa, who tears a hole in the horizon for the narrator to walk through. Much of the album sounds like a conversation between Shepard’s lovely, aching vocals and Daversa’s guitar work, which comments on or accents the songs’ sentiments.  As good as Shepard is as a vocalist and lyricist–and she’s superb– it’s Daversa’s bravura playing here that lingers long after listening.

It would be nice to hear the Charmers kick up some dust and let ‘er rip beyond a mid-tempo pace now and then, but that’s a minor quibble for such an accomplished record. The Whiskey Charmers deserve a wide audience, but musicians can only control so much while making the best music they can. The Charmers can sleep well knowing they have done just that.  

Ken Capobianco, music correspondent for The Boston Globe and staff writer for Smooth Jazz News

The Whiskey Charmers – “On The Run” – review by Ken Capobianco, Boston Globe freelancer and veteran music critic

“On the Run is a sharply executed and evocative set of Americana rock filled with superbly arranged songs about the struggle to find connections, a sense of home, and a center in a ghost town of a world. Carrie Shepard is a smart songwriter with a keen eye for emotional details and hints of melancholy and yearning in her voice. Fine guitarist Lawrence Daversa punctuates and powers the songs with taut, lucid leads that serve the songs instead of overwhelming them. With a solid rhythm section anchoring things, The Whiskey Charmers have delivered a confident, cohesive record that should place them on the map of Americana rock and bring new listeners to the fold.” – Ken Capobianco, Boston Globe freelancer and veteran music critic.

PRE-ORDER A HOODIE AND OUR NEW ALBUM BY CLICKING HERE!

3 Days Left on our Kickstarter!

Hello everyone!
Thanks so much to everyone who has backed our project! We are gearing up to start recording our next album in Michigan and Nashville and we are excited to share new music with you. There are still three days left to pick up Limited Design T-Shirts, Whiskey Glasses, Theme Songs, CDs, Private Shows and more over at our campaign. You can find it at the link below.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thewhiskeycharmers/the-whiskey-charmers-new-studio-album
Love,
TWC

14 Days Left on The Whiskey Charmers Kickstarter!

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to give you a quick update on our Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for our next record. We are currently 71 percent funded with 14 days to go. Thanks to everyone who has helped us get this far.

If you haven’t checked out our campaign yet, we have lots of fun rewards to choose from including Whiskey Charmers rocks glasses, Limited Edition T-Shirts, Private Shows, Personal Theme Songs, Mystery Bags, CDs, Buttons, Stickers, Cowgirl Earrings, and more!

Plus shortly after pledging, you will receive a download code to our “Unreleased” album, a collection of previously recorded studio tracks from the archives.

Our plan is to start recording the next album in Michigan at the end of December, followed by a session in Nashville in January, and then should have the rest of your rewards to you by September.

Thank you for supporting our little mom and pop shop band!

-TWC

Kickstarter Launched for Sixth Album!

Hey folks, us Whiskey Charmers have launched a Kickstarter for our sixth album!
You can check it out at the link below!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thewhiskeycharmers/the-whiskey-charmers-new-studio-album

The Whiskey Charmers Halloween Single “The Day Is Long” Drops Oct 23rd

“It’s been so long I’ve laid here dormant and you whet my appetite.”

The sequel to our 2015 song “Vampire” drops on October 23rd, in time for your Halloween playlists!

The Whiskey Charmers: Streetlights. Album Review by Liverpool Sound and Vision

Many thanks to Ian D Hall at Liverpool Sound and Vision for the review of our new album “Streetlights”. Check out the review below or click here to read it on their website.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

To blaze a trail of your own making can leave you feeling lonely, it can add pressure to your vision to strive to create something that nobody on Earth could imagine, could build, and that loneliness of feeling can be overwhelming, can leave you looking at the bugs that flutter around Streetlights on the highway and wondering if conformity is all that bad; for after all the crowd seems to have more fun being in the realm of illumination.

To be fierce and embrace uniqueness is to understand that those who seek salvation in the crowd are often lost, they are only attracted to the fire, never to the creation, and in the streetlights, they surrender themselves to what they believe is the sun in full smouldering radiance.

Uniqueness is the hunting ground of The Whiskey Charmers, and on their fifth studio album, Streetlights, the sense of understanding the human soul perhaps takes a great stride in being explained, the deep and gratifying pleasure of melancholy is an honesty derived from extracting the pulse from a flame that puts the lamppost into the shade; and as Carrie Shepard and Lawrence Daversa weave together songs of sensual purity with a huge dollop of the uplifting Americana, what can be observed is the continual strive to being unlike anyone else currently plying their trade and greeting the listeners with songs of quality reassurance.

With special guests John Porter, Daniel Ozzie Andrews and David Roof giving the extra dimension within the production, tracks such as Whiskey, It Was Made For Drinking, Sagebrush, the excellent Little Green Man, Time BombNew Song For Sale, and the telling signals of the finale Stars, Streetlights is that illumination  made real, it harvests and utilises the presence of the true warmth with the dynamic pair, it exudes and animates with its presence, and those creatures of the night only ever drawn to the falsehood are soon left behind, for in high spirits, in the uniqueness of inner essence Whiskey Chamers are of the top shelf pick.

Charmers by nature, this is an album for the discerning and playful palate.

Ian D. Hall

The Whiskey Charmers “Streetlights” Lust for Life Magazine Review (print) by Harry de Jong

Many thanks to Harry de Jong from “Lust For Life Magazine” in the Netherlands for the amazing review of our album. Translation to English below.

The Whiskey Charmers – Streetlights
The Whiskey Charmers are comprised of the American singer/guitarist Carrie Shepard and guitarist Lawrence Daversa. This duo has no complaints about a lack of performances, because they are constantly on the road through the land of Uncle Sam. He behind the wheel and she with her feet in flashy cowboy boots on the dashboard, the mobile phone at hand. Streetlights is the successor to On The Run, released last year, and actually has hardly any weak spots. That is mainly because The Whiskey Charmers have found a beautiful synthesis of indie pop and alternative country. And that formula works perfectly on this new album full of self-written material. In addition, Daversa is a guitarist who knows how to coax a sparkling sound from his instrument and gives every song an extra dimension with his witty solos. And Shepard’s golden throat does the rest. – Harry de Jong

Free Show Tomorrow at Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids!

We are looking forward to sharing the stage tomorrow night with Cole Hansen and the Heartbeats!
Come out to Founders Brewing for some live music, brews and awesome food. Music starts at 8pm. Full band show!

Whiskey Charmers Fliers Spotted in Ann Arbor!

Hey folks! If you happen to see some of our fliers in weird spots in Ann Arbor, it’s because we put them in weird spots in Ann Arbor. Just trying to get the word out about our show Monday November 20th at The Ark! Hope you can make it. Tickets are $20 and you can snag them at https://theark.org/event/the-whiskey-charmers-231120/. Come see us perform with the full band at this legendary venue!

Help Us Finish Album 5!

Hello everyone! We have 7 days left in our crowdfunding campaign for album 5. You can pre-order/pledge for music and merch at the link below. There are a lot of fun rewards packages and we are very excited about this new album. Thank you so much!

Album 5 Indiegogo
https://igg.me/at/whiskey5