As soon as the first track from Down to the Styx begins to creep out, I’m immediately drawn in. Subtle, murky, and oh-so-hip, Crook & the Bluff out of Salt Lake City offers fans of alt-country just the right amount of Western swagger with your dark and mellow blend of music.

As soon as the first track from Down to the Styx begins to creep out, I’m immediately drawn in. Subtle, murky, and oh-so-hip, Crook & the Bluff out of Salt Lake City offers fans of alt-country just the right amount of Western swagger with your dark and mellow blend of music. The album title refers to the river dividing the underword from the living world (or, at least, we assume the title refers to that and not the band who grew to fame in the 1970s) and the music contained therein has a touch of the Cimmerian. No suprise. There is also a very palatable sense of constraint on Down to the Styx. Just when you think, Crook & the Bluff is going to really lay it all out on the line in some epic jam-out, they reel it back in, never losing control. It as a layer of subtley and something ultimately “cool” to the album. That’s not to say, Crook & the Bluff are in any way tepid. Songs like “Devilish Deeds” prove you can be fiery and maintain control of those energy channels for the sake of the song (bands, take note). Listen to Down to the Styx here. You won’t be sorry.

Article Tags

Review, Down To The Styx