By AVA LIVERSIDGE
Sons of A Tradesman, the hard rock outfit hailing from West Palm Beach, are to share their whirling adventure of a debut record, Stir The Pot, on February 11, 2022.
According to the foursome– frontman Andrew Alonso, drummer Chris Santiago, guitarist PJ Saiani, and, latest addition, bassist Marvin Hawkins (who recently replaced Nicholas Polycarpo, their first bassist who tragically passed away during the LP’s recording)– the essence of Sons of A Tradesman is “good ole rock n’ roll.”
And, while their debut is imbued with all the raucous energy that good rock music touts, there is nothing “good ole” about this record. The group pays homage to a smattering of influences that really run the gamut– outlaw country, moody shoegaze, classic blues rock, even hip hop– to ultimately create something wholly new.
Stir The Pot is a concept album that features an ornately spun tale of four brothers vying for their father’s regal throne. Again, nothing “good ole.” Even more, this elaborate narrative was conceived and intended for a novel by their late bassist Nicholas Polycarpo to whom the record is dedicated.
Sons of A Tradesman took a risk in committing to such a fantastical concept as their official musical debut; remarkably, no dynamic intrigue or instrumental prowess was obscured by the equally technical narrative the group managed to deliver.
We open atop a misty mountain, surrounded by some echoing static– the band periodically slips into this more pensive, post-punkish meditation, though it never lasts long. Promptly, chugging vocals and guitar join in and the heroic story arc takes off. “Battle of Odysseus” finds itself in valleys and atop peaks, very aware of the tension and release format in which primeval folklore should be delivered, but the relentless guitar riff foreshadows the heavier rock to come.
Both of Stir The Pot’s singles, “The Bandit” and “Vigilante,” are confrontational rock cuts– appropriately bluesy, gritty, and representative of how heavy the group can get. The two also put on display the array of characters frontman Alonso can play. In the case of “The Bandit,” he presumes a dulcet, contemplative passage, followed by a full Robert Plant howl, and, finally, slips into a hip-hop cadence equipping the track with a distinctly Rage Against the Machine ferocity.
Forays into other unexpected musical landscapes begin on “P. Legba” during which the group takes a narrated trip to New Orleans. A funkier, regional sound emerges complete with a heavy bassline and backing vocals; this southern rock, honey-coated growl instinct also comes to bear on the dive bar romp, “Witch’s Brew.”
“Time Kills” returns to the unexpected hip-hop cadence atop thundering drums, which keep the throttling passage of time at the front of mind. And Sons of a Tradesman refuses to settle into a single style even as the record closes. “On The Moon” and “The Wolf 1-04” both transport the record, and the remaining brothers, into some celestial ether of metallic strings and shoegaze serialism. Both ascend into a flurry of white noise and electronic flourishes, but neither eschew the bombast that remains steadfast throughout the LP.
Stir The Pot closes with “La Botanica 1 & 2” wherein a heroic resolution is underway. Number one begins with reflective, down-tempo instrumentals and faint, ringing guitar. Then, of course, a staggering blues-rock riff crashes for a last duel, in the form of an extended call and response pattern between Alonso’s vocals and Saiani’s guitar, creating a perfect culminating chapter before a full denouement emerges in “La Botania 2.”
The final scene features a wistful retrospective of the journey both brothers and listeners have just emerged from, complete with a chilling spoken word passage in Spanish that recounts the narrative– a story, ultimately, of regret; there’s no good time rock to be found by the final clanging chord.
Sons of A Tradesman embarked on a gritty, gallant tale for their debut LP Stir The Pot. The foursome, who sometimes sound strikingly like Led Zeppelin, sometimes not at all, certainly has a story to tell. Listen as if reading a gripping novel: from front to back, in order, without pausing.
