Anchored by Tyler Morris's raw songwriting and buffeted by the collective spirit of his full band, "Vinegar Hill" glows with an uncommon kind of confidence. Backing the vision and ensuring that the fixers are out of the way to make way for the artists must also be embodied. This is the case for Brett Taylor, Will Adams, Justin Terrell, and the newest member, Mlee Marie Mains. Instead, their accompaniments feel more like roots growing in the cracked Houston pavement where they reside.
There's a certain rawness here, and it doesn't come from the body of literature. It comes directly from the habitat the band is breathing in. Houston's sprawling, hot, frequently bypassed feel is soaked into every bar of this song. The result is music that isn't in pursuit of a trend but of a truth. One of the track's most gripping moments comes from a guest spot by Charalambides' Tom Carter. His ghostly guitar is acid-washed, and shimmering crawls through the song's back half like heat off the asphalt. It adds a celestial dimension, pushing the music further into the nether reaches of prog-folk psychedelia without extricating its country-stained soul.
"Vinegar Hill" finds that elusive sweet spot between progressive ambition and rootsy sincerity. You can hear the ghosts of Pearls Before Swine and King Crimson, but what you can listen to the most is a band not afraid to be a band, the outsiders of the outsiders. And sometimes, that's where the most honest music comes from. With this track, Alien Eyelid isn't just making a statement; they're paving the way for something that feels not only big but also personal. "Vinegar Hill" is more of a place than a song, and, fortunately, they've kept the door ajar.
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