Intelligent, ass-kickin’ Southern rock is no oxymoron. Skynyrd proved it years ago, but most people were too busy waving confederate flags to catch on. Now, in this new millennium, the Drive-By Truckers have given everyone a much-needed bitch slap with the powerhouse trio of Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day and The Dirty South. But in the wake of these fine albums materializes an overflowing spittoon of mesh-hat-clad imitators from all over the U.S., and—like with the Skynyrd clones of yore—most are still missing the point. Just wearing the uniform and playing a punked-out 2/4 anthem about puke, beer and love gone wrong, alone, doesn’t cut it. It has to go deeper.
Two Cow Garage seems to get this. There’s a little Springsteen and Farrar tucked inside their revved-up rockers, even if occasional hints of Led Zeppelin and (yes) Quiet Riot sneak into the mix. Small-town laments about childhood dreams and Saturday night sound completely natural pouring from the souls of these Columbus, Ohio, natives. The band’s only downfall is that it sounds a little too much like the Truckers at times, but The Wall Against Our Back is an enjoyable listen straight through—a corn-fed Southern/Midwestern redneck underground tour de force that shows plenty of promise.