When you first hear the city of Nashville being mentioned, what immediately comes to mind? Most likely it’s the highly commercialized pop country drivel that’s been spewing out of the Music City. Or maybe it’s the outlaw revival being spearheaded by the likes of Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson. What gets overlooked is Nashville’s spectacular garage rock scene that has birthed bands like JEFF The Brotherhood, The Black Belles, and Diarrhea Planet. Another act that should be joining that exclusive group in the next few years, if they play their cards right, is Charlie & The Evil Mothers, and they just released their self-titled gem of an EP.
Headed by Middletown, Rhode Island, native and recent Nashville transplant Charlie Shea, Charlie & The Evil Mothers are a thrashing rock and roll act that promises to shred your soul away. Their sound is reminiscent of T. Rex that’s a bit more raw and without much of the glam. What really sets the band apart are the keys adding a dreamy tone; it gives a bit of a polish to a hard-hitting bare bones sound to even things out. A couple of tracks have a resounding thud while others have an infectious groove. It’s versatile and nowhere near grounded, each song brings something different to the table for a refreshing experience.
A thunderous rager, “To Be Real… Or Not To Be” has Shea screaming at the top of his lungs about being genuine and being on the straight and narrow while dealing with the curveballs life can throw. The drums are the anchor for the track with seismic beats and incredible fills. “So Easy, Read Me” has a boogie to it that’ll make you bust a move, there’s also a ’60s pop quality in the chorus that’ll stay in your head. With that first riff from Shea, “Mink (You Are So Wonderful)” takes a few cues from Guided By Voices’ Robert Pollard with lo-fi tones and pure emphasis. The keys have a solid presence in the track to add a different dimension.
Maybe Shea will bring his band of Evil Mothers back to The Ocean State to do a homecoming show sometime soon but be sure that this band will be ripping up the scene in Nashville for the time being. In the meantime, give Charlie & The Evil Mothers’ brand new EP a listen below.
