Fifth on the Floor - Ashes & Angels

Finally....the day is nearly here. Lexington, KY based band, Fifth on the Floor is releasing their third album, "Ashes & Angels". It has been a long wait for a lot of fans since the release of  their sophomore album "Dark and Bloody Ground" in 2010, an album that set the foundation for the direction they are going today. It did, after all, catch the ear of Shooter Jennings, son of the great Waylon Jennings, who is also the producer for "Ashes & Angels" and can be heard in a couple songs playing the keys.

The album starts off with a fast track called "Whiskey", which gets your legs moving right off the bat with a bit of fiddle and banjo thrown in. This is a song that tells a story about a man and his devilish drinking ways, only to be connected later in the album by "Wine", sang by the beautiful Rachel Brooke and tells the story from the perspective of that man's woman waiting at home, both of which were written by lead singer Justin Wells along with several others on the album. Wells' voice is one of the things that makes this band special and unique. 

Parsons, Graham, Rodgers, & Wells

The other fellas contributed their writing talents as well on plenty of tracks. Bassist Jason Parsons is credited with "Same Old Thing" and my personal favorite  "Angels in the Snow", a fantastic song down one of love's memory lanes, both of which Parsons takes the lead vocals. Drummer Aaron Graham wrote "Hangman's Reel" which has a Tom Waits/Neil Young feel to it, and lead guitarist Matty Rodgers got his pen dirty with "What For".

The guitar solos scattered throughout by Rodgers are alone worth buying the album, his talent seeps through the tracks like blood thru the bands veins. Combined with Wells' voice, it turns this album into a true gem. The only song not written by the band is "One Big Holiday", a cover from My Morning Jacket, which they slowed down a bit and remade fantastically.

Rodgers and Wells

All in all, this album is true to it's roots, and is a refreshing sound compared to what is pumped out of Nashville these days. Another record showing country isn't dead, and in fact why it is in the midst of a rebirth.  Fifth on the Floor aren't going anywhere, and hopefully just getting started.

"Ashes & Angels" will hit the shelves March 12 from Entertainment One, and the first single, "January in Louisiana", is now available for download on iTunes, I highly recommend you put this at the top of your list for your next album purchase.

Ashes & Angels Track List:
1. Whiskey
2. Shotgun
3. January in Louisiana
4. The Last Opry
5. Burnin' Nashville Down
6. Angels in the Snow
7. Wild Child
8. Wine (featuring Rachel Brooke)
9. Hangman's Reel
10. What For
11. Same Old Thing
12. One Big Holiday

www.fifthonthefloor.com