I’ve been wanting to get back to updating for awhile now, but I’ve been busy, and… well, you don’t need to hear all the details, but suffice it to say, it’s been a very, very long month or two. It should come as no surprise that the music that finally gets me up and going again is this:

Two Gallants, Two Gallants – coming September 25th on Saddle Creek.

FINALLY. For a long time, all the information we could squeeze out was “they have an album coming in the fall.” But now! We have cover art. We have a tracklist. We have a release date. And we have new songs!

Two Gallants: “Despite What You’ve Been Told” (download)
Two Gallants: “The Hand That Held Me Down” (download)

As if it wasn’t enough that “Trembling of the Rose” and “Reflections of the Marionette,” two fan favorites that the guys have been playing live for awhile now, are going to be on this record, or that “My Baby’s Gone,” a super old-school 2Gs tune that will probably show up here in the near future is going to be on it – they throw out these two gems as singles on the ‘net.

“Despite What You’ve Been Told” is the sound of hitting the breaking point of a relationship, both lyrically and musically – and walking away. The bitter longing, stretching that last bit of pride that hasn’t been squashed, paired with their trademark insistence. Adam Stephens’ imagery is as strong as ever when he spits out so effortlessly, “I should set this steel trap up between your thighs and dive right in,” or “I should climb down off my rugged cross and lay with you.”

“The Hand That Held Me Down” is the perfect contrast – going the other way at that crossroads, giving up, giving in. Stephens’ voice sounds weary, breaking, as if on the verge of tears, as he reminds the beloved, “I alone stand at your defense.” The harmonica completes Stephens’ wail, and Tyson Vogel’s drumming is expertly understated – standing out and ducking under at precisely the right moments.

You can and should pre-order Two Gallants here – if you do, it will ship out a whole two weeks sooner. It’s embarrassingly cheap (when was the last time you paid $11 for a brand new release?), and also available on vinyl, which their sound lends itself to nicely.

Two Gallants Official Site
Two Gallants on MySpace