"[The Lonesome Sea is the] Enticing dream rock debut from Carolina-based cosmic cowboys. A genuinely inspired merging of pre-electric and post psychedelic Americana. Neil Young and Giant Sand provide pointers, but Wayne & Co chart a spry, original course" **** (4/5) Uncut Magazine
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"It happens at exactly two minutes and twenty-three seconds into Jesus, the third song on the debut platter from Ashevilles Wayne Robbins & the Hellsayers. Up to that point youve been gently, pleasurably lulled by a dreamy slice of cosmic cowboy folk-rock (Time Is A Bird In Your Eyes, which recalls both My Morning Jacket and The Byrds Notorious Byrd Brothers and is sun kissed by a haunting electric lap steel motif) and a Wilco-meets-Neil Young pop nugget (Sarahs Lament, part Summerteeth and part After the Goldrush, Robbins keening vocals ultimately tipping the scales more in the direction of the latter). And for the first half of Jesus the band maintains this low key, melodic vibe, the only hint of disquiet Robbins crossroads-reaching, self-probing lyrics: Jesus, I dont want to be free anymore/ each day I find/ that the ground/ is pulling me down. The earth splits wide open-or is it the Rapture, granting Robbins his wish? in a massive spasm of feedback, white noise and fret board frissons: Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine hop the expressway to yr skull. Its a beautiful violence, that Young & Crazy Horse might perversely employ, or the kind of derailment Howe Gelb sometimes delights in when his band Giant Sand is at full boil.
Elsewhere youll encounter a wealth of diverse moments: Queen Annes Revenge, with baroque banjo, is twang-noir, Forgiveness, a hypnotic bit of Clean/Yo La Tengoish drone pop; and Ediths Dream, a bluesy, modal, psychedelic waltz straight out of Quicksilver Messenger Service territory (cue more feedback). Throughout the Hellsayers remain focused, stitching together myriad strands of Americana and Amerindie while demonstrating a healthy disregard for pop platitudes. Featuring songwriter Robbins passionate, keening upper register (add MMJs Jim James to the prior Young comparison), the twin guitar front line of Jonas Cole and Jeff Whitworth (the latters also the lap steel wielder) and the sturdy rhythm section of Brian Landrum (drums) and Joe Burkett (bass), the Hellsayers are one of the most gifted outfits to emerge from the Western North Carolina mountains since the Blue Rags (on SubPop) in the mid/late 90s. For further proof checkout the Hellsayers website (www.goodluckcricket.com). In addition to the usual band info and MP3 album samples theres a small archive of Dylan covers listed as The Hellsayers celebrate Dylans Basement Tapes. Included are outstanding live versions of You Aint Goin Nowhere, Tiny Montgomery and traditional Bonnie Ship the Diamond plus a home demo of Down In the Flood. Theres definitely more to this merry band of mountaineers than meets the eye or ear." - Fred Mills (Stomp & Stammer)
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Their fondness for Mercury Rev and Wilco might cause staring in remote country, while the influence of Spiritualized on the pleading Jesus would be Pitchfork-worthy"- Q Magazine
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WR & The Hellsayers have been fortunate to share the stage with:
Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket, Smog, Magnolia Electric Company, Chris Robinson (Black Crowes) & New Earth Mud, Tyler Ramsey, Apples in Stereo, The Long Winters, Oakley Hall, Dalek, Deerhunter, Bloodkin, Hopewell, The High Dials, Summer Hymns, Cary Fridley, The Houstons, Suttree, Drug Money, Nevada.....
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