Four stars for The Greenhornes new album, ‘****’

By John Soltes

When The Greenhornes emerged  from the garage-rock explosion of the early 2000s (with the blessings of Jack White), they seemed like a much-needed breath of fresh air. The Cincinnati-based band, featuring Craig Fox, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler, felt so new because they felt so true. Their influences are evident and deep. From The Beatles to The Rolling Stones, their sound is one of ordered rock. The lyrics are meaningful; the vocals are understandable; and the beats are addictive.

The Greenhornes’ latest effort, simply titled ****, continues their winning track record. From the first track of “Saying Goodbye” (what a great song to start an album) to the warped slowness of “Go Tell Henry,” the album is one of the band’s strongest.

In their characteristically no-frills manner, the songs all stay simple and short. Plus, there’s no liner notes in the album, only a message from filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. Devotees will remember that Jarmusch’s excellent film Broken Flowers afforded The Greenhornes one of their biggest breaks. The movie’s unofficial anthem was a “There is No End,” a perfect song sung by Holly Golightly and backed by The Greenhornes.

Although the entire 12-song album is solid, with no real misstep, I did find myself constantly replaying “Underestimator” and “Song 13,” probably the two finest recordings.

**** is not earth-shattering, and neither are The Greenhornes. And yet they are so seamlessly put together, such beacons of solid rock, that the band and its output should be celebrated. Maybe the future of rock is a return to rock.

The Greenhornes

****

Featuring Craig Fox, Jack Lawrence, Patrick Keeler and special guest Andrew Higley

Bubble score: 4 out of 4

Click here to purchase **** from Amazon.com. Click here for more information on The Greenhornes.