Pawtuckets
Rest of our days
Madjack

Following up on the promise of their debut Cloud 9 Ranch, Memphis band
the Pawtuckets show on Rest Of Our Days that they've tightened
considerably between records. Guitars weave like Jimmy Miller-era
Stones while maintaining a string-pulling country edge. Piano and
electric piano are used judiciously, while touches of mandolin,
harmonica and pedal steel keep the music firmly rooted in country.

Tales of loss and longing supported by hope are made all the more
poignant by the recent death of band member Mark McKinney's wife,
Emily. Throughout the record, the band allows him to grieve and mourn
his loss while supporting his words with sympathetic accompaniment.
Rest Of Our Days takes the listener on a journey: We get a sense of
place with wistful visions of the North Mississippi countryside early
in the record on such songs as "Hatchie Bottom" and "Mississippi
Parking Lot". As the record continues, the sorrow become more apparent.
The sequence of the blistering "Shade", the bluesy "Shovel Goes Down",
and the quiet "Song For Emily" lead brilliantly to the uplifting
simplicity of the concluding title track.

At times, Nashville and Memphis seem to be separated by far more than
a few hours. When a Memphis band leans toward the country music of
Nashville with this kind of accomplishment, it deserves notice -
especially when they do it without losing that spooky and mysterious
Memphis soul.

-Jim Markel
from No Depression (The Alternative Country Music) Bimonthly