The Blizzard of 78 blends indie rock with a country twang
So I found this CD in the on-air cabinet called Book of Lies by The Blizzard of 78, and I have to say, I’m feeling it. The band’s name isn’t too catchy, but the vocals coupled with jangly piano, twangy guitar, and super-suave basslines become a enjoyable combination.
So the RIYLs (Recommended If You Like, for non-radio folk) said they sounded like The Hold Steady and some other band I’m vaguely interested in. I was intrigued. I ripped. Two weeks later, I recalled that I had ripped an album that had seemed interesting at the time. I listened. I did not regret.
The best thing I can compare it to is the product of Wild Sweet Orange (who are the next big thing, just you wait, I called it first) and the Hold Steady. It has the Hold Steady’s grasp of the electric guitar and penchant for gang vocals, and WSO’s softer, easy-to-listen-to characteristics.
The album opens with a snare roll and a fuzzy guitar riff that are produced just enough to make you pay attention. A short verse later, a catchy, easy-to-sing-along-to chorus erupts, then brings you back to a nice calm verse again, rinse and repeat. The pattern is catchy, and the hooks don’t get old, even though “That’s the song” makes up what must be about 70% of the lyrics. The song doesn’t try to be more epic than it needs to be at the track one position, and then passes the baton to “Lullabye,” a calmer song that keeps the upbeat vibe with a strong rhythm section.
The vocals and guitar draw from influences that can be traced back to the Black Crowes, making it good for active listening, and the bass and drums make it good ambient music as well. This motif carries through, primarily in songs like “Lullabye,” “Pray,” and “God Eat God,” which don’t try to demand excessive attention, but still have articulation if you’re listening to it. Tracks like “The Song,” “Come Back Now,” and “Mercy” work to use pianos, gang vocals, and catchy choruses to get you singing along, and these are peppered in so that there isn’t an overload of stimulus at any given time.
The album is very consistent in its motivation, and as such it works best as an album, but if you’re craving a single to load onto your iPod, “Mercy” is your winner. The track uses the vocals as a way of making the song interesting (gang vocals and melodic sprechgesang? Yes, please) while the bass and drums work to make the song more unified, leaving the guitar to do its thing while the singers do theirs.
The verdict? Listen to it. These guys put together a good album. No one song will really attract too much attention, and as such, the band probably won’t get too much appeal. That said, it’s enjoyable, and so I’ll give it the thumbs up.
RIYL: The Hold Steady, Wild Sweet Orange, The Black Crowes
Audiophilia 
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