Local boys Star & Micey make Memphis blues sound positively ebullient on their debut album, Get ‘Em Next Time (out this Friday). While the city’s traditional sound might be the foundation, the four-piece band—singer/guitarist Nick Redmond, singer/guitarist Josh Cosby, bassist Geoff Smith, and drummer Jeremy Stanfill—whip in heart-breaking soul and smooth pop vocals, honed by more than five years together on the road.
It’s not all sunshine and roses, though: Redmond and Cosby have had family troubles thick as the Mississippi mud, both with brothers who battled drug addiction and ultimately went to prison. And those life tests show up on such stellar tracks as “I Can’t Wait,” in which Redmond sings of a loved one departing too soon, and “Slo Dance,” a tortuous look at addiction. But there’s a beacon of light, one that the aptly named title track, “Get ‘Em Next Time,” illustrates with the healing power of rock & roll. “It’s not about how many times you get knocked down,” Redmond says. “It’s about how many times you get back up. We’ve waited six years of wins and losses to put out this record. It’s our goal to make you smile.”
Enjoy a first listen of Get ‘Em Next Time now exclusively on gardenandgun.com. The album is available for pre-order on iTunes.
