There are some days when you get home and all you want to do is kick back and escape into another world. Chiefs’ album Tomorrow’s Over (Roosevelt Row Records) would make an excellent companion during such a time. My initial thoughts were along the lines of a blender full of Kyuss, Demon Cleaner, and Greenleaf but with Paul Valle’s vocals.
The song ‘Ride’ is aptly named and is perfect for one of those long drives through the night that you take when you need to figure things out. It is very easy to just let yourself go, get out of your own head, and enjoy those fuzzy riffs and groovy bass lines. I haven’t heard any of Chiefs’ older material as a duo but I can’t imagine them without Jeff Podeszwik on bass. I found myself listening to it over and over and I don’t think that it would have had the same impact on me if it were performed by just two men.
Things get a little heavier with one of my favorite tracks and submission holds, ‘Sharpshooter’. This is one of those songs that will immediately get your head moving and your body swaying. As much as this album is full of ear worms, I would argue that this is the strongest of them all and once it gets into your head, it’s going to be hanging out for a while. I can almost hear the deafening wall of sound and ringing of the ears that seeing this performed live would create. Here’s hoping they make it out to the east coast soon.
In all honest, I wouldn’t have expected this to be a début album with how polished and well written it is. Nothing feels out-of-place or unnecessary and the transitions from song to song are very smooth. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this band joining the ranks of other veteran stoner rockers in time. Tomorrow’s Over feels like something that could have just as easily have been released in the 90s and that is definitely not a bad thing.
7.5/10
ALEIDA LA LLAVE