Thu 8/15 @ 9:30PM
The Burning River Ramblers are what one might call “jam band lite.” Their songs have some of that eclectic, loosey-goosey, “What me worry” vibe that still carries a whiff of the college band they once were.
Now based in Lakewood, most of the band’s five members went to school in Athens, Ohio, which is pretty much jam-band, neo-hippie central of the state of Ohio. So it’s unsurprisingly that a little of that aura would rub off on them, especially in the stew of influences from reggae, blues and folk.
But their new album To Color a Fool — their second release — shows off their keen pop sensibilities too, whether it’s the sprawling, epic dream pop “Sad Earn,” a feel-good light rocker like “Murphy’s Law,” or the airy “Where We Were At,” with its pretty harmonies. “The Open Road” starts as bluesy folk and builds to a buzzy, noisy climax. The band even displays a touch of early Jefferson Airplane on “I Come Back” and “Show the Way.”
The Burning River Ramblers will debut To Color a Fool with a show at Vosh in Lakewood. The $10 admission includes a copy of the CD. You can preview the album here, but of course, you won’t get to hear how the band fleshes out the songs live unless you go to the show.