Ingram Hill - June's Picture Show (CD)

All Music Guide

When Nirvana and Pearl Jam went through the roof commercially in the early ‘90s, there was a real "out with the old, in with the new" attitude in the rock world. That was when music loosely defined as alternative rock or alternative poprock took over in a major way; from then on, most Baby Boomer artists were considered old school rather than cutting edge. But despite all that early ‘90s upheaval, roots rock never went awayand in some cases, bands have found ways to blend altrock and roots rock. It isn't necessarily done in a calculated fashion; it's doubtful that most altrock/roots rock bands that emerged in the ‘90s or 2000s actually sat down and consciously said, "OK, let's combine Tom Petty, John Cougar Mellencamp or Bruce Springsteen with Live, Creed or Pearl Jam" But that has been the type of result a band can get when it unites different influences from different eras. Like Tonic, Cracker and Train, Ingram Hill has one foot in roots rock and the other in alternative poprockand o...n their first fulllength album, June's Picture Show, the Memphis residents pull it off with good taste and sincerity. The bluesy, gritty earthiness of this material underscores the band's southern roots, but Ingram Hill are hardly a ripoff of Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special or the Outlaws. While those were whiskeysoaked party bands that thrived on redneck stereotypesthey were like the Dukes of Hazard with electric guitarsIngram Hill brings a lot of introspection and sensitivity to the table. And they also show an ability to simultaneously draw on influences that are alternative (Tonic, Cracker) and nonalternative (Mellencamp, Tom Petty, the Black Crowes). June's Picture Show falls short of magnificent, but it's a solid, wellcrafted and respectable effort from the Tennessee natives. - Alex Henderson, All Music Guide Read more Less