Album Review: There Is a Bomb in Gilead by Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires

Lee Bains III is a proud son of the state of Alabama, and he also studied literature in New York for a spell, and you can hear evidence of both on There Is a Bomb in Gilead, his debut album with his band the Glory Fires. Between the twang in Bains' voice, the twang in his guitars, and the plaintive howl of the melodies, this music is Southern by the grace of God, and Bains and his bandmates -- guitarist Matt Wurtele, bassist Justin Colburn, and drummer Blake Williamson -- aren't afraid to show their colors, whether it's on the R&B-influenced groove of "Everything You Took," the C&W weeper "Reba," the old-school Southern rock strut of "Righteous, Ragged Songs," or the high-speed buzz of "Centreville. " While Bains talks a good game about punk rock in his lyrics, this music is less about high-velocity grit than the homey texture of red dirt, and the band's instincts and feel are pretty undeniable here, sounding as natural and as potent as a jar of iced tea and bourbon.

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