Alt-country rockers Sarah Shook & the Disarmers released their latest album, Revelations, at the end of March. It is Shook’s fourth album and the first one where they handled production themselves.
A hard-touring and formerly hard-drinking band based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Shook & the Disarmers have a newfound sobriety that shows itself with insightful songs about bad relationships, bad choices, substance abuse and moving forward toward a better life.
Speaking about their music, Shook said in a statement, “I’m a firm believer that if you are an artist, and you want to make better art, a big part of that isn’t just exercising your musical skills; it’s growing as a human being. So every time I make a record, I want to be able to listen to it and look back on who I was then. I want to see this arc and this evolution. That’s really important to me.”
Shook has been a single parent since the age of 21. They recently came out as non-binary and changed their name to River.
Revelations has plenty of catchy, sing-along choruses and maintains a lot of twang along with the rock. The lead single, “Backsliders” shows off a bouncy rhythm along with slide guitar. Shook sings about the difficulty of leaving a relationship with the killer line, “Hate I can't say no as easily as you say yes.”
The remaining songs are incisive, well-constructed and sung from a world-weary but still growing perspective. Sarah Shook & the Disarmers are coming into their own as a band, songwriter and producer.
Must Listens
- "Revelations"
- "Dogbane"
- "Backsliders"
- "Give You All My Love"
- "Criminal"
