Walnut Grove DC are like old friends.
The band was formed in 2010 in La Rochelle, and it’s after two albums and an EP that Sylvain Bonnin (guitar/vocals), Thibaud Carter (bass), Franck Besse (drums) and Alexandre Ardoin (guitar) unveil their new EP, Deeper.
We start with 50 Foot Woman and its thick riffs that immediately put us in the Stoner mood, accompanied by a hoarse voice, and sometimes even some backing vocals. Even if the theme is relatively original, the catchy rhythm does the job, as it does on the heavy dissonant Never Break, which is slightly slower and more ethereal at times, and deals with a more serious, concrete subject with palpable intensity. Punk roots are again in evidence on Room 330, a very short composition which doesn’t waste a moment in offering jerky, groovy riffs, but which becomes chaotic during the solo before a final wave of rage. Back to the American West for Tumble Weed, that little ball of grass rolling through the desert, immediately reminding us of westerns, whose bluesy tones are reflected in the sound. The track is carried away by the sound of the guitars, before moving on to Turn Around, which offers a more energetic approach while remaining fairly classic in its rhythm, letting the vocals and harmonics add the band’s touch, before returning to the heady sounds of Mint Julep, where the vocals take on a more prominent role, notably joining forces at times. The track is relatively short, unlike No More and its six minutes of distortion that don’t hesitate to spread out to trap us in their many effects, but also some more imposing passages, almost even majestic and surprising before finally fading away in a feedback.
I saw Walnut Grove DC in a bar more than ten years ago. The band has kept its DIY mentality, its greasy thick riffs that smell of whisky, and Deeper is an excellent example of what the Stoner scene has to offer.
85/100