ATLRetro

By James Kelly
Contributing Music Editor

Sonoramic Commando
HANG AROUND
Sonoramic Records

Atlanta has had a rich and thriving country/rockabilly/roots music community for over 25 years, and while the bigtime glory days of the storied Redneck Underground may fade a bit, there are still plenty of talented bands making good music that fits in the genre. On HANG AROUND, their second album, Sonoramic Commando exhibit significant maturity and a strong command of their eclectic style. Over 18 quick tracks (clocking in under 50 minutes), the boys cover most of the musical bases well, including the rockin’ groove of “Gina L.,”  the sweet honky tonk “Pony” and the surfy sultry “The Stalker.” Lead singer-bassist Rodney Bell, guitarist Chad Proctor, and drummer Matt Spaugh cut the record over a three-day stretch, and the rawness of the “live in the studio” recording effectively captures their energy and intensity.

Other than support on two tracks by pedal steel player Bill Fleming, the boys pretty much did this one by themselves, and manage to create a full and well balanced sound.Chad’s guitar rings loud and clear, Matt’s backbeats keep the rhythm rolling, and Rodney’s confident vocals deliver the quirky material with harmonic accompaniment from his cohorts. The band wrote 16 of the 18 tracks, and received some help with the words for a couple of tunes from Commando Emeritus John McLean and the Bluejays’ Jay Murphree. All in all, a fine piece of work, and an excellent representation of Atlanta’s roots rock community.