You’d expect a band that calls itself The Alternate Routes to lean more towards rural ramblings. Especially since the cover replicates John Fogerty’s classic Blue Ridge Rangers album, a model for today’s roots rock standard. And given the fact it’s released on the venerable Vanguard label, with its indelible Americana imprint, the association is all the more inevitable. However in this case, these Routes aren’t necessarily intertwined with roots of any other variety. Truth is, there’s nary a fiddle or mandolin in earshot. Instead, the band’s sophomore album is a thoroughly rousing affair, filled with riveting anthems and dogged affirmation. The blazing defiance of “Who Cares?”, “Aftermath” and “Time Is A Runaway” keep the energy level peaked throughout, but it’s the handful of downtrodden ballads - “Hollywood”, “The Black and the White” and “Please Don’t Let It Be” - that provide the emotional resilience. The Alternate Routes don’t lay claim to being heroes of the heartland, but regardless, Good And Reckless And True stays true to its title.
~ Lee Zimmerman
Buy Album from CD Universe
