Its Time To Hear The Gousters

CD REVIEWS:

Walt Cronin, half of the duo named The Gousters and the principle lyricist, displays an infectious enthusiasm about his music. Scattered across the web are numerous postings, blogs, notes and comments from him that celebrate, in a surpised kind of joy, the independent success of his self-released album. He seems thrilled that anyone even noticed The Gousters. But then again, how could you not notice them?

The energy of Walt, the perfectly loose composition of the songs, the stark poeticism of the lyrics and the fact that the other half of the duo is Zander Schloss, made famous by his founding of the seminal punk band The Circle Jerks and less famous by his role in the cult film Repo Man, would seem to make this point moot. And, in the interest of coming full circle, their rapid climbing of the music charts without a label, promoter, publicist or manager seems to prove the point.

As for the music itself, Walt loosely defines it as alt-country, with the caveat that the term has become a catch-all description, like jam or indie rock. Listening to it at a distance, it reminds me of the gritty folk of Neil Young (“Trickle Past”), the deadpan somberness of Leonard Cohen (“Only Eighteen”) and the tumbling melodies of the classic 60’s folk groups (“If It All Goes Well”).

Listening to it up close and personal still reminds me of those artists but also helps give a sense of, mainly, who Walt Cronin is. His experience as a combat medic in Vietnam, love, lost friends and the realities of living a rough life permeate the songs that are strummed on an acoustic guitar, frantically picked on a mandolin and tapped out on a small basement drum kit.

From the beautifully rough and tumble rockabilly-tinged “Make Me A Kinder Man” with it’s straightforward tribute to a loved one, the down home picking of “Bottleneck Confusion” and its yearning for a simpler life to the melodic folk of “Showered in Blue” with it’s CSNY-esque vocal harmonies and the Civil War tale built into the rollicking country rock of “Wheatfield” Walt and Zander create music that sounds like wood, dead leaves, oil, dirt, tears and a just a bit punk.

It is an album that deserves the notice it is receiving and worthy of many more accolades. So let’s all keep surprising Walt Cronin and spread the word about The Gousters around the scene.

Dave Terpeny
Kyndmusic.com

While you would probably describe The Gousters CD as alt-country/Folk, these guys actually run the gamut of alternative variety and do it all extremely well. They play their own unique and distinctive brand of music ranging from hillbilly to folk to grunge rock and you are bound to enjoy it all.
Walt Cronin’s & Zander Schloss’ strong vocals and excellent harmony make the music very entertaining and easy to listen to. But there is a great deal more to their music than just great sound. Listen closely to the lyrics, for they reveal extraordinary songwriting talent. Within those lyrics is a rich experiential content that could only be produced by one who has strong emotional ties to the theme. Those lyrics coupled with this talented duo’s delivery will leave you wanting more.

Brenda Barbee - RMR Staff Reviewer ( Roots Music Report )

Walt Cronin
www.thegousters.com