Press for 12lb.Test (Harm's Way & Let Yourself In)
From The Phoenix New Times (Feb. 15, 2001):
12lb. Test, Harm's Way (Miles of Music Recordings), By Fred Mills
With feet nimbly perched in rootsy alt-country, luminous pop and never-say-die '70s guitar rock, Denton, Texas, quartet 12lb.Test makes a memorable debut that does the region's roots scene proud. Naturally, reference points do pop up, and the group clearly has the cruise control on its Econoline aimed at Austin (these days, Denton is better known for space heads than twang rockers). But the familiar moments are the friendly handshake-and-a-beer variety, not the we've-heard-this-crap-before type. No doubt the pedigree of 12lb.Test's founder, Michael Hill, has a lot to do with that; a veteran of Slobberbone (a fine Lone Star outfit with a reputation for classy rowdiness), he's blessed with a passionate alto whine, a deeply sincere delivery, and a welcome penchant for grabbing lead guitarist Jake Williams and embarking on some tasty twin guitar tangents that help set the group apart from the pack.
Opening on a wave of distortion that's straight out of Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride," Harm's Way gets right down to business with "Square One," a compelling slice of rave-up power pop with countryish undertones. After that, the drinks flow freely: Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone" meets Steve Earle's "I Ain't Ever Satisfied" ("Lucky You"), Walkabouts-styled guy-gal harmonies -- courtesy Hill and guest Kim Baker -- floating in a sea of minor-key desert rock ("Peace Offering"), a touch of Uncle Tupelo and a hint of Thin Lizzy ("When We Didn't Know").
From the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (Jan. 23, 2000):
Band's Debut Tills Y'alternative Soil, By Jim Walsh
Any y'alternative country fan who was deflowered by the loping, raggedy side of the Gear Daddies or the down'n'dirgey side of Uncle Tupelo will fall hard for this 12-song debut from 12lb.Test, a radio (station in our dreams)-friendly foursome from Denton, Texas, with a collective heart of darkness. The main appeal to"Harm's Way" is the songs of singer, guitarist and organist Michael Hill, a River Falls, Wisconsin native who was lead guitarist for Denton's other most prominent hard-twang export, Slobberbone. Hill's vocals are reminiscent of both Martin Zellar's and Steve Earle's, a tick that will lead many to write these guys off as being too derivative to bother with.
Too bad for them. The band (drummer Joe Elwood, bassist/accordionist Michael Alves, and guitarist Jake Williams) plays like a house band to every gin joint in the world, and, as a wordsmith, Hill has a knack for cutting to the bone of the bone of the homo sapiens experience. The record's most paralyzing track is "When We Didn't Know." A lost-youth lament that kicks off with the confession, "The more I learn the less I know." Truer words have rarely been sung and they are the sound, my friends, of a confused soul. Not a lost soul, mind you. How can I tell? Because lost souls don't rock with this much guts, passion or resolve to continue the life lessons.
From AltCountryTab.com (England):
12lb.Test, Harm's Way, by Doug Floyd
. . . Comparisons to other bands are inevitable, but I find it surprisingly hard to do in this case. If I had to, I would say that the recent work of the Old 97s is a good one, along with such bands as the Gear Daddies and the Wallflowers . . . the driving guitar of "Square One" opens the album strongly, and the next three tracks keep the album moving along solidly. Then, "Peace Offering" arrives and provides the highlight of the album. A fine vocal performance by Kim Baker, who duets on the track, adds warmth and heart to the lyrics . . . . The song also contains an imaginative backing arrangement, which lifts the song. "Tear Me Down" continues with another big hook and some effective harmonies. "When We Didn't Know" again hits the mark with a ridiculously catchy chorus. "Local Driver" provides the only track not written by Hill, as Williams takes his turn, providing a welcome break with a slightly darker tone. The mood returns to the successful formula established earlier in the album on the next three tracks before the acoustic final track, including banjo, finishes the album with a flourish once again aided by Baker's vocal presence . . . Clearly, 12lb.Test are too rock to be a country band and too country to be a mainstream rock band . . . the album is a very promising debut . . . they are currently recording a second album and, on the basis of this album, I look forward to see how they have developed on from "Harm's Way."
From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Feb. 18, 2000):
Testing the Waters, by Malcom Mayhew
One of the most frustrating things about leaving a reputable band, says former Slobberbone guitarist Michael Hill, is not necessarily the leaving part; it's what happens afterward. "I had no problem with Slobberbone. Creatively, I just wasn't satisfied with my contribution to the band. There's no bitterness or anything," says Hill, a former Star-Telegram freelance writer. "I had a problem with the people who wouldn't let me get out from underneath the shadow of Slobberbone."
Hill, a University of North Texas music history graduate, pooled those frustrations into his post-Slobberbone band, 12lb.Test, which just released its satisfyingly gritty debut, Harm's Way. "Yeah, to me that's what this record's about, the struggle to gain respect after leaving a band like that," says Hill. "Obviously, I make music to satisfy my creative urges or whatever, but you want people to hear it. It's tough when people don't want to believe that you're doing something else."
12lb.Test formed in 1997 as a trio composed of Hill, who sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar; bassist Michael Alves and drummer Joe Elwood - a year later they added a second guitarist, Jake Williams. But Elwood left the band after the recording of Harm's Way. In stepped a lifelong musical cohort of Hill's, his cousin, Steve Hill, solidifying the current lineup. The band performs at 10 p.m. Friday at Dan's Bar, 119 S. Elm St., Denton. Call (940) 891-1549.
From the Denton Record-Chronicle (Dec. 9, 1999):
Putting Music to the 'Test,' by Chad Huffman
After years of performing in the background, guitarist Michael Hill steps to the forefront and releases a new CD with his band, 12lb.Test. The group, which formed in the summer of 1997 after Hill left the well-known group Slobberbone, has been steadily honing a straight-ahead rock'n'roll sound, unique not only to Denton but to the current music industry as well. 12lb.Test, which is comprised of Hill, guitarist Jake Williams, drummer Steve Hill, who also plays in the Baptist Generals, and bassist Michael Alves, who performs with the Irving Symphony Orchestra, have sharpened their individual skills, creating one of the hottest guitar-driven combos in Texas. Hill and Williams' dueling guitar leads reek of years of blues and classic rock training, while not pushing the envelope too far.
'Harm's Way,' the band's CD debut, burns through12 guitar-driven songs, while layering heart-felt lyrics of frustration, blown chances and lost loves. The band manages to encompass several styles of music, mixing them all together and putting its own unique spin on the sound. What results is a hodge-podge of Texas-influenced, bluesy rock'n'roll. The majority of the songs are mid-tempos that are laced with pop, but the down-and-dirty blues influence is evident, as well as the Texas sound. The band is self-described as straight-forward, and the description holds true. The songs aren't utterly predictable, but they also won't throw any curve balls at the listener.
After serving as the backup vocalist in several different outfits, Hill is finally given the opportunity to express his meek, yet sharp-as-a-knife voice in the limelight. The vocal delivery and lyrical content on "Harm's Way" seem to build you up and then tear you down without being overly abrasive. The content is witty and frustrated at the same time, telling first-person narratives. "This CD pretty much defines our sound as a band," Alves said, in a recent phone interview. "The styles might change depending on songwriting, but this'll be the springboard for all other projects."
Alves said the group initially got together as an excuse to play three- and four-chord songs, mostly written by Hill, and quickly expanded from there. He said the group has branched out to include banjos, string bass and even accordion on 'Harm's Way.' "I come from the age of (Bruce) Springsteen, so it's nice to play in a band that features two great guitarists," Alves said. "At the same time, however, it's not a night of endless guitars. The music is backed up by lyrics that make sense and are heart-felt."
"Harm's Way" follows a live, tape-only release, and in many ways the progression sounds like two completely different bands. The similarities are obvious, but the sound is textured and layered with multiple instruments and the vocals lean more toward dueling harmonies. "This is a fun experiment," Alves said. "I think when people see us, they should expect to be entertained, hear music that varies from song to song, with interesting lyrics. The music and lyrics come from the heart and as long as people are responsive to it, we'll be around."
From Cosmik Debris (USA):
Case File 050: 12 lb. Test (Denton, TX), by Bill Holmes
Mail order company Miles of Music is an excellent resource for finding quality music of all kinds, with a special focus on alt-country. If they like a record enough that they actually issue it on their own label, well...that speaks volumes. I could use a bad pun and tell you that they "hooked" a good one here or have a "great line" on talent, but that might seem fishy. (Ouch). Ex-Slobberbone guitarist Michael Hill leads the guitar-oriented quartet who are as likely to conjure up Green On Red as a more somber Lynyrd Skynyrd. Hill's songs echo the sentiments of a man who's been down more than a few dirt roads in his life, although the optimistic side pokes its head out of the gopher hole more often than not. "Lucky You" is the kind of melodic canvas that Built To Spill or Neil Young might take on a thirty minute joyride, while "Tear Me Down" and "When We Didn't Know" are really pop songs in overalls. Harm's Way was composed in 1999 but given wider exposure last year, and if Old 97s and The Honeydogs grace your record collection, so too should this.
From The L.A. Weekly (Oct. 27, 2000):
12lb.Test, Harm's Way (Miles of Music)
A couple of guitar-happy Texas schoolteachers and Michael Hill of the weirdo twang outfit Slobberbone have formed this pleasantly rocking ensemble. The music is loud yet lightly melodious, reminiscent of '70s country rock efforts by the likes of Poco, Firefall and late-period Byrds. Though mostly about lost loves and unlucky lives, the songs share a happy, harmonious spirit - it's party music you can cry to. This is the first release from the good folks who run www.milesofmusic.com and available only from the Valley-based Internet enterprise that's, not coincidentally, the one-stop supersite for everything great on the Americana/alt.country scene. ***
From Glitterhouse (Germany):
(Translated from German)
. . . The 12 songs are, throughout, very sunny and melodiously created, whereby pop, rock and parts of country are well-mixed. At first, 12lb.Test reminds me of the Jayhawks, who had a similar direction and perfected this sound . . . if one compares the substance of "Harm's Way" with the then-self-produced 'hawks debut, they measure up quite well when it comes to guitar performance, songwriting and vocals. I give, for example, the epic "Lucky You" as representative of all three categories. After two more records, 12lb.Test will have their own "Hollywood Town Hall."
From Freight Train Boogie (USA):
12lb.Test, Harm's Way (Miles of Music)
3 stars
Reviewed by Bill Frater. . . These guys have done some wood-shedding, refining their aggressive twang. The lead guitar work, sometimes two of 'em dueling Allman Brothers style, is a highlight . . .
From Rockzines.com (USA):
Fans of Martin Zellar, Gear Daddies and other Minneapolis bands might want to check out this Texan alt-country act . . . Production is very good. "Tear Me Down" has a great organ arrangement and good country electric guitar. Not only that, but it actually has a bridge! That's unusual, since you might expect nothing more than verses, a chorus and extended country jamming . . . "When We Didn't Know" gets in the jamming I expected in previous songs, but the surprise here is that it's very good playing.
From the Fort Worth Weekly (Oct. 25, 2001):
12lb. Test, Let Yourself In (Your Label Here), by Paula Felps
Although half of this four-year-old Denton band now lives in Washington, that hasn't kept 12lb.Test from continuing to create its own brand of pop-laced roots rock. With their second album, the quartet continues crafting songs similar to those found on its 1999 debut, "Harm's Way," without repeating itself. Kicking off with the snappy "Another Friday Night," the band strips away any illusions of glamour that might accompany dreams of life in an up-and-coming garage band and further examines the dream in "My Other Life," which looks at the irony of slaving away at a day job while living for the few hours on stage each night.
The band is at its best, however, when it's panning across lead vocalist/guitarist Michael Hill's disappointments and frustrations. Numbers like "Fade," "Outgunned" and "My Own Worst Enemy" showcase the style that makes Hill's songs sparkle, even when they're dragging his heart and hopes through the dirt. Guitarist Jake Williams and bassist Mike Alves get the chance to test their songwriting skills on this disc, which makes it a bit uneven; their styles are so distinctively different from Hill's that it's possible to pick out which ones weren't written by the bandleader without ever looking at the liner notes. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since it means this disc is anything but predictable.
From Freight Train 'Boogie (USA):
12lb. Test, Let Yourself In (Your Label Here)
3 and ½ stars
Reviewed by Scott HomewoodAs if the title alone isn't welcoming enough, one listen to these well-done songs, with their effervescent mix of bluegrass and roots rock, will be more than enough to make you a lifelong friend of this talented band. Comparisons off the bat would be Son Volt if the Volt had any life in their music or a Midwestern version of Tom Petty with less Stones influence and more Ralph Stanley. Songs are lyrically sparse and very to-the-point without a lot of wasted words and superfluous details. We are given what we need for the story while the excellently played music takes us on the journey. On second thought, a solid comparison would be an American Blue Rodeo. Either way, great stuff I would definitely recommend any roots fan check out.
From AltCountryTab.com (England):
12lb.Test, Let Yourself In (Your Label Here)
3 and 1/2 stars
Review by Doug Floyd12 lb Test is a four piece out of Denton, Texas, and this is their second album, the follow up to 2000's well received "Harm's Way". 12lb Test are an assembly from a number of bands from the Denton area, including the mighty Slobberbone (Michael Hill), Mudville Nine, The Yonders, Baptist Generals, Marmalade, the Nick Brisco Band and the Irving Symphony Orchestra. They come with quite a pedigree I think you'll agree.
Recorded in Dallas by Jim King "Let yourself In" is a strong album, with thirteen eminently listenable songs ranging in styles from more straight ahead country rock to country blues, bluegrass and honky tonk, but all with their own unmistakable 12lb Test stamp. The majority of the song writing is handled by Hill (seven), with Williams (five) and Alves (one) chipping in with some significant efforts of their own. Lyrically the songs are forthright and have an affecting way of observing and recording the human condition…hard work, determination and desperation are all themes that re occur. What catches the ear here is the energy of the performances and the way in which the songs are arranged. They build to crescendos, they restate and revisit wonderfully catchy melodic lines or they just simply support what's being said through the lyrics without causing too much of a fuss, which it has to be said, is a sign of great maturity in any band.
Of the thirteen songs presented Hill probably has the best; "Fade", "Outgunned" and the guitar extravaganza "My own Worst Enemy" are the outstanding tracks but the selection is a tough one. "Fade" is a powerfully brooding ballad of desperation and features the best guitar solo I've heard all year. "Outgunned" which probably pips the other two at the post is a passionate anthem for anyone that the cards have been stacked against:
"Have you ever felt outnumbered? Have you ever felt outgunned? Have you ever felt, for all the world, like you were the only one? Have you ever felt downhearted, disillusioned or disowned? Like you were only hanging on because it's all you've ever known"
"DART Song" dedicated to "broken hearts and public transportation", and the sole track supplied by Bassist Alves is a bluegrass type hoedown that supplies the album with it's strongest country credentials. Williams' "All I Want To Be is Your Starship Captain" has some forceful atmospheric guitar as well as probably the best title of the year so far! I found I enjoyed the album the further I waded in, the opening numbers giving way to more substantial songs by each turn. The overall feel of the record casts up images of some of Blue Rodeo's more significant and mature work. You'll want to turn the volume up for the straight-ahead guitar driven stuff but you'll also be drawn to the more reflective moments so just...let yourself in!