Last year with the release of Mightmare’s debut record, I began my exploration of River Shook’s catalog and body of work, which meant a deep dive into the Disarmers catalog. What became immediately obvious to me is that River has always had a substantial power for writing songs with impact. The standout update for me was seeing the maturity in the musicianship and vocal approach to really drive those songs to places that most artists spend late nights agonizing over the details they're hoping to reach. It was simple but without losing any weight or power, it was sharpened and edited down to just hard hitting lyrics coupled with hummable melodies, and it was just what “rock” records should be. The last record River and company produced under the Disarmers moniker was also just an absolute powerhouse. This made me almost hesitant to review Revelations as I was afraid that it wouldn’t hit as hard without the novelty. Well, kind readers, it absolutely still hits like a southern accent tinged indie rock Mack truck head on collision. I shouldn’t be surprised, but somehow, I still am.
