After inviting fellow musicians to collaborate and lend their instruments to her songs, Lou Heneise (vocals/songwriting/guitar/banjo/fiddle/ percussion) joined forces with John Swan III (harmonies/banjo/ percussion/trumpet), Michael Vasquez (Mandolin), and Jon Howard (Fiddle) forming Gunslingers. Mixing their folk influences with indie rock and dark doomy tunes, they dropped their EP Green Acres Motel on the 24th of March 2023, and today we’re going to dig deep into it.
Gunslingers opened Green Acres Motel with the mellow yet dark sounding How to Sleep, it has a smooth subtle flow with deep emotional doomy vibes that reminded me of Subrosa’s work. The warm acoustic arpeggios went perfectly with the mesmerizing charismatic vocals, as both kept the mood balanced and made me put How to Sleep on repeat for a while before moving to the next song, awesome opening. Happy Hunting comes next with a more open sound and dreamy vocal harmonies. The sliding guitar added a bright layer to Gunslingers’ mix, while their laidback pace and subtle melodies kept their sound intact and uncompromised. Step Up comes next with an uplifting sound and a more dynamic approach than its predecessors. A multilayered tune with groovy guitars and powerful vocals with a storytelling flow that keeps you hooked and paying full attention until its very last note. Next around the middle of the EP comes the heart-hitting Old Friend. A touching tune with fiddle lines that go straight hitting your heart at the perfect spot, while the guitars and vocals do their magic with the signature fluidity and filled-with-emotions sound that creates a deep connection with the listener. My favorite song off Green Acres Motel. Steering into a more dynamic area and progressing structure comes Winking, it mixes a groovy playful flow with its doomy psychedelic sound in a beautiful well-written mix. Ending the EP with a new twist with Gloryland, a folky chant that reminded me of Viking-influenced tunes that I believe, would benefit from getting an electric version with a big sound, it has the potential of being a regular singalong part of their performances.
Green Acres Motel is one hell of an emotionally enjoyable ride with Gunslingers, it shows their seasoned writing skills and their well-knowledge of their sound and direction as they kept on pushing forward without losing focus at all. Looking forward to more from Gunslingers, keep on rocking guys. Cheers!