Nashville-based country quartet Little Big Town has seldom aimed for fame and a mainstream sound; instead, the band, which consists of two male/female couples, has released four albums centered on harmonies and a rotation of lead vocalists. But with their fifth studio album, Tornado, the band members have begun to rely heavily on electric instrumentation—the obvious result of a recent partnership with producer Jay Joyce. The result: a southern-rock-meets-bluegrass summer record perfect for a backwoods Mississippi barbeque.
“Pavement Ends” kicks off the LP in this style with rockabilly influences—pounding kick drums lead into an electric banjo interlude that melts into a crunchy guitar riff accompanying Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet as they sing, “Later we’ll call some friends / Tell ‘em, ‘Meet us where the pavement ends.’”
The later hectic party track “On Fire Tonight” echoes this theme as the chorus fades into similarly amplified Telecaster and harmonica duets.
Despite the reckless abandon both in terms of theme and amp volume, Little Big Town does not stray far from its preferred style. Even summer anthem “Pontoon,” with its near-hip-hop production and electric mandolin-driven rhythm, retains the four-part vocal harmony that supports Karen Fairchild’s pleasantly reverb-heavy lead.
The bluesy “Front Porch Thing,” too, earns a spot as one of the album’s best tracks. The a cappella four-part intro and chorus interrupted by rhythmic slide-guitar notes and vocals alternating between the four band members allow Little Big Town to venture into familiar and refined stylistic territory.
On “Self Made,” the only track that allows the overdriven guitar to cross into the role of lead instrument, the band falls flat. The theme of “we built that” along with the vocals, which struggle to surpass the reverberating chords, blend into a tornado of sound that verges on unbearable.
In spite of the instrumental ambition, Little Big Town manages to shine through the boldness of Tornado. The band’s four voices rise above new producers and record labels for a sound that’s truly self-made.
