BC & The Big Rig: Liars & Saints Album Review

BC & The Big Rig’s 5th album will be released Friday October 15th, titled Liars & Saints. The band was formed in January 2015, and have been melting faces and jamming out the crowds with their signature style of shred-dirt since day one.

I was lucky enough to have been at their very first show as a band, and have written an album review for all of their records along the way. So I’m honored to be putting this one together as well. The band’s songs and music have evolved through the years, while still staying true to their roots and providing a consistent basis of sounds and styles.

The band includes Brandon Clark on guitar and vocals, James Purdy on drums, Chris Bell on bass, keys and backing vocals, Ryan McCall on guitar, and Sam Naifeh on guitar and backing vocals. They have guest musician Greg Zink on the album playing keys on a couple of the songs.

Each of these players bring an impressive amount of skills and talent to the table, and all together as one unit is an amazing sight to see. While their albums are chock full of their rocking vibes, I implore you to catch a live show if you haven’t done it. Watching these guys live is a rare treat of amazing craftsmanship, you’ll walk away feeling like your soul was changed by the mere vibrations of all the shred dirt being dealt out. Trust me on this one.

Liars & Saints was recorded at BlackBird Studio in Nashville last fall. The album was mixed by Jeron Nix at Desperado Sound in Marlow and mastered by Adam Chamberlain of Adam C Mastering in Oklahoma City. Album Artwork is by Ragan Parkerson of TableZero Studios in Stillwater. You can find out more about how this album came about in the feature I published a few weeks ago here.

But let’s get to the meat and potatoes of this album review.

The album features an intro track and 10 songs.

“When you get down to it, we’re all liars and saints at points in our lives...we are heathens and healers, fools and fishermen, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers; Tulsa’s BC &The Big Rig have sonically represented and packaged that up for all of us to stick in our ears. On this latest offering, you get fat grooves, introspective narratives, and an abundance of guitar-heavy roots rock. Shred dirt at its finest.”

The Intro track definitely sets the mood for this collection of rock and roll tunes. It’s a little ominous, and full of soul. Just a nibble of what’s to come

Liar – This songs explodes into being, full of heavy riffs and poignant lyrics. It’s all just dripping with good ol’ angsty rock and roll. The lyrics are impassioned and lively, and Brandon’s vocals nail the theme and emotions of this song. The instrumentals match the intensity in the perfect collaborative way. The wicked face-melting guitar solo makes you just want to close your eyes and feel it in your soul, and trust me, you do.

The Shakes – Heavy handed and bursting with rock and roll, this song has the feel of a punk tune. It takes you through the tale of a drunken night that leads to chaos. I challenge you to stay still during this song, I found it utterly impossible, it just makes you want to move your body, led by the hand by the breakneck beat and tasty guitar riffs through the whole thing.

Little Devils – This track slows it down just a bit, with a bluesy vibe full of soul. But that’s not to say it isn’t also packed with some rocking instrumentals that work their way in there at the perfect times. It’s laced with soulful, gritty guitar solos and heavy-handed percussion and gets your head rocking along with the beat. The vocals bring it home.

Kid at Heart – This song is probably as country at this shred dirt band gets, a fun little ditty that just makes you smile. The instrumentals and vocals are straightforward and uncomplicated.The lyrics both paint a picture of simpler times and the things life serves up to us, but it’s also full of hope and inspiration. Don’t we all just want to stay a kid at heart?

Long way to fall- The tune keeps that slowed down vibe going, full of emotion and vulnerability. It’s full of things most of us can relate to in many ways, and you can feel how genuine the lyrics are in the vocals. It’s hauntingly real but filled with inspiration none the less. It’s one of those songs that are great to play loudly driving down a dirt road with the windows down, feeling the music in your soul and the wind on your skin.

Won’t sleep tonight - This song starts speeding things back up a little. It’s got a great beat to keep your feet tapping and head bobbing along, a ballad of sorts, about making it home to the one you love among other things. But it’s no less a rock song, offering fast paced and layered instrumentals that groove along the whole way.

Saint – This grooving tune starts hot and heavy, bluesy and full of soul, it’s a good partying song. The keys add a layer of depth and jazziness that shines through in a gratifying way. The funky guitar licks are saucy, and Brandon’s vocals have an extra edge of sass in them. It all makes you just move your body and feel the music as you groove along. The drums are on point, the bass is thick and heavy handed in the best possible way, the vocals command attention and it all blends together to form one fantastically tasty tune.

If you Only Knew – This tune slows us back down a notch, simple but full of depth and emotion. It’s got a melancholy feel to it but pulled together in a way that still leave sa light shining through. The layered vocals at the end pull it into a really impressive ending. You can feel the emotions tied into it from start to finish.

Rainbow Rocker – A Red Dirt Rangers cover, it's a bit of a jam song, filled with funk, soul and rock mixed with that red dirt charm done in the only way a shred dirt band can do. The beat is infectious, and you'll find your whole body itching to groove through it. The funky bass line weaves through the whole thing, and the guitar solos brings the house down. These guys took this song and made it their own, well done.

Scraps – This tune wraps it all up, exploding into a heavy handed and rocking vibe. The lyrics are thought provoking and honest, painting a picture of getting the scraps in life. Brandon’s vocals are strong and spirited, and has a growling quality thrown in which adds a great effect. The pounding drums, shredding guitars and passionate vocal delivery all makes it one hell of a send-off to the album.

All together this collection of songs pays spirit and homage to the Liars & Saints theme, wrapping it all up into one cohesive package that flows well from start to finish. I’d say this album compared to previous ones is like watching the band grow up a little, you can see the maturing of themes as well as the progression of their music through the years and albums. Well done guys, it’s an album worthy of your shred dirt name.

“It’s probably our most complete collection of songs in terms of emotions, and it rivals the energy that the Big Rig presents at a live show. It’s one of the closest ones we have on a studio record in comparison to a live show. Brandon really brought it on the lyrics on a lot of the songs. In particular, Long Way to Fall, just a great song. Kid at Heart has just that punch you in the gut lyrics, make you smile, make you cry. It’s an album that’s meant to hit many emotions, we’ve all been Liars, we’ve all been Saints before, it can all happen at the same time sometimes. We are just trying to connect with people,” said Sam Naifeh.

BC & The Big Rig have some release shows scheduled. Friday the 15th they have an early show at Hobson Hops in Sapulpa, which is a street festival, and they’re playing that night with the Red Dirt Rangers at the Mercury Lounge in Tulsa. Saturday night they will be at the Hunt Club in Tulsa. They will have CDs for sale at those shows, and it will be streaming everywhere that day as well. Make sure you attend a show and get your hands on a copy!