CIGARETTES @ SUNSET - ‘Possum Rock’ E.P. review

Just when I thought I might be familiar with most of the many genres and sub-genres which exist within rock and metal, a new one sprung up which in name alone fascinated me and felt worth checking out - Appalachian Possum Rock - and the band was Cigarettes @ Sunset, a young band based in Boone, North Carolina.

Describing themselves as providing a “raw and soulful blend of Americana, Indie, Appalachian Folk and Rock” might provide you with a sense of Cigarettes @ Sunset’s sound, but this only tells you so much. Adjust the balance a little in the descriptor and what they produce is urgent and immediate big alt rock, with deeply raw vocals, highly memorable lyrics and with by turns haunting, fast and furious violin weaving its way through the songs and providing an even more distinctive sound. Or putting it another way - original, raw, immediate and powerful music made to be played on repeat. 

The song in question was “Old Bleached Hair” which started off in territory which may not be unfamiliar to fans of The Gaslight Anthem, John Mellencamp or Canada’s The Glorious Sons, but which takes on its own identity as the song progresses and Garret Dellinger’s distinctive vocals become more raw, urgent and intense as the lyrics unfold - 

Fast forward to last weekend and the latest new music Friday didn’t disappoint with the release of the Black Crowes’ ‘A Pound of Feathers’, which as a big fan I’d been really looking forward to, but haven’t been able to listen to as I can’t get past listening to Cigarettes @ Sunset’s EP released on the same day. 

Containing six songs, the EP starts off with ‘My Fix’. Everything about the song is big - the guitars and the urgent chorus with Garrett’s vocals somewhere between a song and a shout, as the distinctive lyrical style continues -

Weaving its magic, Sarah Vann’s violin steers the song along. Although different in effect, it’s reminiscent of the rootsier sound the wonderful Lisa Germano brought with her fiddle to John Mellencamp’s ‘The Lonesome Jubilee’. 

‘Pavement’ follows, initially offering a mellower and melancholic vibe before the intensity and emotion increases again through the vocal delivery, rising and falling as it continues; with the band skilfully anchoring the song as the vocals soar and threaten to take it away.

‘Theresa’ is the closest the band get to humour here and is candidly about an ex-girlfriend who called Garrett by the wrong name in bed and is followed by ‘Old Bleached Hair’ which has lost none of its impact, has more than earned its re-release and inclusion on the EP, but also never over-shadows the other songs featured which match it for quality note for note and lyric for lyric. 

Lyrically the content of the EP is quite grungy, gritty and low-fi, reflecting the reality of modern life in rural and mountain towns - smoking in parents’ basements, substance use, mental health and angst but presented in a way which engages, connects and resonates while avoiding being depressing.

“Rewind” continues the urgency (getting the musical pattern here?) with Garrett’s and Ryland Bagbey’s twin raw guitars filling the sound, with Wells Whitman’s bass rumbling beneath the surface and Ethan Moore’s drums providing the backbone, while the violin again weaves in and out sinuously to produce that distinctive Cigarettes @ Sunset sound.

Switching gears, and revealing another side to their music, the last song on the EP, ‘Leave You (If It’s the Right Thing To Do)’ is a low-key raw and fragile duet sung by Garrett and Sarah accompanied by just violin, bass and muted guitar. Just beautiful.

The EP is a very collaborative affair with all five band members sharing writing and production credits along with Taylor Kimball and Cole Covington on Production and Engineering. 

For a young band (or let’s face a band of any age) this is a seriously impressive release and I really like it.

In 1974 the music critic Jon Landau was famously quoted as writing “I saw rock’n’roll’s future and its name is Bruce Springsteen”. While I would personally agree that this bold statement turned out to be true, I’ll try to avoid hyperbole and simply say that since discovering Cigarettes @ Sunset’s music I feel much more confident that rock music is not only still alive and kicking, but is flourishing and in very, very safe hands.

The ‘Possom Rock’ EP is available on all of the usual platforms.

GMcA