I always forget how soulful and funky this Austin duo is. Maybe it’s because of their name; Greyhounds makes them sound like they should be lean, high-strung and fast. Instead, they’re mellow, warm and easygoing. Maybe Labradors would be a better handle for them. In any case, they’ve got another winner with this eighth batch of deep grooves, rich arrangements and smooth baritone vocals.
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Austin duo Greyhounds (Anthony Farrell and Andrew Trube) are proud to present their latest full-length record Primates, marking their 20th year of making music together. Primates is a dialect of the human soul — a musical language that reaches across borders, beyond differences — to address personal relationships, class struggles, culture wars, and the disconnectedness of modern living. Trube and Farrell conjure vibrations of those who have come before, while remaining aware and inspired of what the future will bring. Primates is also the first Greyhounds record to use an outside producer, and to be tracked at their new East Austin studio Bud’s Recording Services. “We’ve always produced our own records,” says vocalist/keyboardist Anthony Farrell. “But we knew we needed to stretch our sound on this record to reflect the scope of what we are trying to say. We brought in producer/multi-instrumentalist Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Flesh Eaters, Deer Tick). We’ve known Steve for a long time, but it can be difficult to let go of your control in creative endeavors. However, our immense respect for him as a musician, as well as a human-being, made it easy to trust him. He opened up a lot of musical doors that we didn’t know existed. Plus he gave us a thorough education in Mezcal!” For his part, Berlin returned the appreciation: “There’s a very short list of bands who can combine intelligence, virtuosity, respect for tradition, and a sense of humor with incredible vocals and socially conscious songwriting. In my opinion, it’s actually a list of one: the Greyhounds!”
