Bicentennial Drug Lord “You Are Never Alone”
Bicentennial Drug Lord is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based band comprised of longtime friends and songwriters John Daniels (Soda, Maki), Rick Donner (Punchdrunk), and Alan Weatherhead (Sparklehorse). Their imaginative sound combines different elements of both Americana and indie rock.
The gentle alt-country opener “This Pabst Blue Ribbon” evokes the small country bar with its layered guitar and shuffling rhythm. The long organ chords of “Caught Wishing” combine the slow, roots-driven balladry with indie rock fuzz guitar, a little like Tom Petty, and Daniels’s vocals give it sadness and weight. The style of “The Ballad of Snooki the Pit” leans more into alt. pop with electric fiddle and synths. However, the guitars come out for the tribute “Iggy Pop,” which is a mini bio for the musical legend, and it’s a big highlight. Some songs lean into country more (“Rock Bottom”) but the tempos are relatively slow and the themes are generally downbeat. A final highlight is the closer, “The Gates of Headley Grange,” with its growing, layered synth and guitar chorus. The production here is multi-layered, bordering on psychedelic new wave. If you are looking for something different, I’d give this a try.