Backyard Tire Fire can be called “tasteful,” “workmanlike” (in the best sense of the word), and “tough.” Many of the songs are about uneasy situations. “Everybody’s Down” and “Welcome to the Factory” are about living and working in what may not be the best place; the latter is a loud, crunchy rocker with nasty guitar sounds. The former is a country tune with gospel feel.

The band, led by chief songwriter Ed Anderson, often allows its pop roots to shine through, as on the title cut, with it’s great lyric about growing up, driven by a cool octave-and-chord mix on guitar. “Legal Crime” is a quirky rocker about marriage contracts, with a nasty fuzzed-out guitar solo that matches the warning of the lyric. The primary rocker is “How In the Hell Did You Get Back Here?” – a stomper chock full of guitar fills, solos, and chords and a gruff vocal.

Backyard Tire Fire sounds primed for the long run, hopefully its members continue to grow while they move forward.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s Oct. ’08 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.