Chris Horses & The Slow Smoke - NOWHERE BOUND (2026) [Hi-Res]

Southern Rock isn’t just played in the US Southern states. No, it’s also played in Southern Europe. The quartet Chris Horses & The Slow Smoke hail from Italy. In 2024, their debut album ‘Sad Songs & Dark Beer’ was released on the independent label Devil’s Fork Records. The band have remained loyal to this label and are now releasing their second album, ‘Nowhere Bound’.

The abbreviation for SLOw SMOke, ‘SLOSMO’, provides the inspiration for the title of the opening track. The song begins with gentle acoustic guitars. Chris Horse’s vocals are just as gentle. A very contemplative, ballad-like track. But later on, drums, bass and electrically amplified guitars come in. ‘White Flag’ has a more rock-oriented feel. You’re immediately tempted to bob your head along. A powerful guitar solo in the second half is the highlight of the song. ‘Rocks On The Street’, on the other hand, is a bit calmer but with plenty of country appeal. ‘If I Broke Your Heart’ is a rousing Rock song with that typical Southern flair. Later on, things get very quiet at times with a guitar melody that invites you to close your eyes and dream. With the stomping Country song ‘Cheeserolling’, you can easily picture a wheel of cheese being rolled across the meadows. A banjo emphasises the Southern folk influence. With ‘The Party’s Gone’, the name says it all. The music is sure to create a great atmosphere at any party. No, it’s not just at Wacken that the question ‘Shine Or Rain’ arises. Driven by the banjo, you just want to sway along. With ‘Feel It Coming’, the album shifts back to classic Southern Rock. Naturally, it radiates a great deal of enthusiasm for life. Once again, a guitar solo is woven in with ease and flair. The Allman Brothers Band send their regards. Chris Horses sings a duet with a female singer here. Unfortunately, however, there is no mention of who she is. The Rock ballad “Goddamn Love Song” begins with a deep bass line, which is later joined by the guitar.

It’s almost hard to believe that “Nowhere Bound” doesn’t come from the American South. But hang on – that’s not quite right. The authentic sound was mastered by Jono Manson at The Kitchen Sink Studio in Santa Fe (Texas). The result is just over 40 minutes of the finest Country and Southern Rock, featuring a wide range of influences, from Neil Young to The Allman Brothers, Jason Isbell, Blackberry Smoke through to Willie Nelson.