No Pushover
Self-Released, 2019
10/10
The Minneapolis songwriter and instrumentalist Fred Argir returns with another batch of gritty rock tunes where power and melody are intertwined with thoughtful, sometimes subdued grace.
“Beggar’s Anthem” gets the album off to a pounding start of guitar driven rock that indeed thrives with an anthemic spirit amid the soaring melodies, and “Not Much To Do” follows a similar path with some classic rock nods and playful rhythm on the crunchy tune.
At the middle, “Watching The Day’s Slip” shows restraint amid the groove filled, incendiary atmosphere, while “The Wall” illustrates cautiousness and traces of Americana in Argir’s thundering formula.
Deeper cuts bring us the mesmerizing guitar work of “Lies On The Brick Wall”, which pushes and pulls with lush tension, and “Every Day’s A Friday Night” ends the listen with a memorable rocker where the spirit of Minnesota legends like Soul Asylum and The Replacements linger.
Argir plays just about everything on this record, and his songwriting is top notch from beginning to end. An extremely prolific artist, Argir is no stranger to quality music, and No Pushover is among his best to date and hands down one of the best rock albums of 2019.
Travels well with: Bob Mould- Sunshine Rock; Paul Westerberg- Eventually