Tin Horn Prayer

Pinning down the sound of Tin Horn Prayer is a fool’s game. Punk attitude, country woodgrain and Tom Waits nightmare carnival music all play a part, but even that motley mixture doesn’t quite describe the weirdness that ensues when former members of some legendary Denver acts get together. Featuring Scooter James, Mike Herrera, Andy Thomas, Eric Epling, Dan Gilbert and Ethan Steenson, the lineup reads like a who’s who, but the outfit is far from a star trip. Tin Horn Prayer’s music is filled with beer-soaked anger, wine-soaked misery and whiskey-soaked regret. It staggers and struts like the guy at the end of the bar who started the night looking for love, but is now just looking for a fight. It’s raucous, ramshackle and raw, but the veterans in Tin Horn Prayer have the songwriting sophistication, expert showmanship and musical chops to pull it off. Though they take you through some neighborhoods you’d rather not visit, Tin Horn Prayer will take you on a wild and exhilarating ride.

chuck ragan, tom waits