The Lonesome Trailers make what they call “rural rock” in Kent City, smack between Grand Rapids and Muskegon in western Michigan. Songwriter and rhythm guitarist Dave Vander Zanden’s lyrics address the inequities and injustices of contemporary society, which is no doubt why the Trailers publish under the name A Little to the Left Music.
The ballad “A Family Mourns” quotes the family of a dead soldier; the war-veteran narrator of “Soldier’s Story” says, “I’ve fought for the rights/Of people that don’t even value life”; “Yellow Sky” is about Uncle Joe, who came back from Vietnam seeing demons. As for “There’s No Family (On The Family Farm)”, the title says it all.
But it rocks. One of the strongest cuts, “Painted Horse (Casino And Bingo Hall)”, with its biting words and churning beat, laments the reality of reservation casinos. “When The World Comes Around” kicks off the disc with a “Guitar Town”-era Steve Earle riff, sweetened with John Merchant’s mandolin, a tone that’s carried through the album. Mark Cornelius’ bass provides a solid bottom.
Vander Zanden may be right when he sings, “Maybe I’m getting what I deserve/I’m a Mayberry boy in a Melrose world”. Give him credit for singing what he believes in.
