Speedball Baby and
Five Dollar Priest – ironically only bandleader
Tony Pinto has since labored in obscurity), the talent is undeniable, but what brings it altogether are the songs themselves. With a clear love for both sixties-derived folk rock of the R.E.M. variety and the then-current British and Australian neopsych guitar bands, plus a dash of gothic moodiness, the Ranchers infuse the brooding “Without a Doubt” and “After All” and the rocking “Drowning” and “Shadows” with a seemingly effortless balance of memorable melody, nervous energy and emotional gloom. Mixed and mastered by
Kirk Swan – whose band
Dumptruck provides a useful reference point –