Rockin in Weary Land

 (21 customer reviews)

Such a distinctive sound ... good music has good character, and the band's blend of styles, the positively-sprited lyrics, and the simplicity of so many solid riffs at once offer one of the most likeable characters I've encountered, in music or in life. Jeb and Tara have vocal moments so tender you hear their meaning without needing to hear the words. The album achieves more than record sales -- it lightens the mind between the ears which take it in. Faith to Believe, Conscious Evolution, Each and Every Direction, Sailing and of course Let Love Move Me, all going on mixes to encourage friends to buy this album. And to see the band live -- on stage they truly magnetize the crowd.

Hard to describe, easy to enjoy. You'll be impressed and delighted with the wide range of rythms nad lyrics that "Donna the Buffalo" brings to its music. This is simply one of the best new groups to come along in some time. I was truly amazed when I saw them in concert and their CD,"Rockin' In the Weary Land" is one of the first I reach for when I get in the car (where I spend a lot of time). Even my 13 year old fights to have the CD in her room, quite an endorsement.Not surprisingly, the band seems to be catching the interst of the public, but is still something of a mystery on the radio play-lists. Too bad, for the rest of the world. This is a band that has a lot to look forward to, no "one-hit" future here. If they are in your area, see them . . .you'll smile all the way home.

Donna the Buffalo is a great example of a whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Jeb Puryear's winding guitar lines are unremarkable if you listen too closely, but are perfect sonic accents when you let it be part of the whole. Puryear's nasally, laid-back voice, with its lazy enunciation, lackadaisical intonation, and limited range, is the perfect foil to Tara Nevins' chirpy voice; an entire album of either voice might become tiring, but alternating their warm voices gives each one the opportunity to be welcomed back like an old friend. The relentlessly positive outlook of the lyrics, with their hippy-dippy platitudes of toleration and acceptance, are set in such catchy, sometimes sumptuous, melodies that the cumulative effect is uplifting. All the parts fit together into a wonderful illustration of the pantheist universe that seems to be the wellspring of every song.

That said, how is this album? It doesn't matter. I can't see anyone settling for one Donna...Read more