Self Made Man, the fifth full-length studio album from Georgia-raised, Nashville-based Larkin Poe, is a record that dips its toes into the turgid waters of country, southern rock and Chicago blues to create a hybrid style all its own. Fronted by sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, the group have created an album chock-full of several medium-tempo, two-step-worthy stompers and radio friendly anthems. Self Made Man serves its purpose and does its job well — to rock and entertain.
Kicking off with the heavily distorted, defiant "She's a Self Made Man," Larkin Poe set the tone early and often throughout the record. The guitar serves as the workhorse here, with the bluesy vocals frequently serving as accents underneath the instrumentals. That being said, the choruses are hooky and memorable, like on "Back Down South," where strong lyrics are complemented by guitar wizard Tyler Bryant's shredding. Near the end of the album, whimsical standout "Ex-Con" finds the group channelling Black Crowes-esque blues with the vocals finally taking the forefront.
At the end of the day, the Lovells have created another strong, forward-thinking record that continues to show an overall evolution in Larkin Poe's sound and style, providing a worthy followup to their previous outings.
(Tricki-Woo)Kicking off with the heavily distorted, defiant "She's a Self Made Man," Larkin Poe set the tone early and often throughout the record. The guitar serves as the workhorse here, with the bluesy vocals frequently serving as accents underneath the instrumentals. That being said, the choruses are hooky and memorable, like on "Back Down South," where strong lyrics are complemented by guitar wizard Tyler Bryant's shredding. Near the end of the album, whimsical standout "Ex-Con" finds the group channelling Black Crowes-esque blues with the vocals finally taking the forefront.
At the end of the day, the Lovells have created another strong, forward-thinking record that continues to show an overall evolution in Larkin Poe's sound and style, providing a worthy followup to their previous outings.
