Guns of Navarone
Prize and Battlefield
Reviewed by Jim Caligiuri, Fri., Jan. 27, 2012
Guns of Navarone
Prize and BattlefieldA decade before the term alt.country was coined in the Nineties, one roots-rock revival featured guitar bands like the Long Ryders, Rank & File, and Green on Red. The members of Guns of Navarone probably weren't even born at that musical juncture, but Prize and Battlefield, the local quartet's debut, would fit neatly in a scene that took much influence from Gram Parsons' rock-and-country hybrid played with indie rock attitude. Guns of Navarone's chiming guitars, chugging rhythms, and sparkling harmonies suggest a more contemporary comparison to the Old 97's, yet it also isolates the occasional goth flourish, like the ending of "Gatsby Did It All for a Girl" and a Southwestern sweep created by the guest pedal steel of Kim Deschamps on "Born Bloody." Well-crafted hooks and muscular ensemble play make Prize and Battlefield an imposing initial effort.