Secondhand Jones

There’s something to be said for straightforward, old-school rock, and Anniston band Secondhand Jones is preaching it.

The band released their first album, “Stitches,” on Nov. 29, a nine-track EP settled in the crossroads between Southern rock, ’90s alternative, blues chords and country twang. Gadsden residents who have seen the band perform at Blackstone Pub & Eatery may recognize the tunes as a large part of the Secondhand Jones setlist.

“Stitches” does its best work as a time capsule, something that a generation raised recording songs from the radio to cassette tape would enjoy. Singer and guitarist Jonn Medders sounds like he could’ve shared a stage with Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner or Spin Doctors’ Chris Barron, waxing on commercialism in “Wake Up” and how to live a freewheeling lifestyle in “Look Away.” The concepts aren’t unheard of in modern music, but there’s a way of expressing them that’s uniquely ’90s — “Nothing’s sacred/ nothing’s ever real/ when everyone is hypnotized,” dreamy guitar strumming included.

Secondhand Jones’ instrumentation doesn’t spend as much time in the nostalgia barn — though the Soundgarden-esque intro to “Pull, Luna” will take listeners back to “Black Hole Sun” — with a heavier take on Southern rock, hammer-ons and pull-offs rooting songs in swampy distortion. Lead guitarist Ben Hasse’s solos are fast and loose, melodic and a little gritty, elevating songs like “Mirror, Mirror” from solid rock tunes to body-movers. In the rhythm section, bassist Rich Culp ably swings between jazz, rockabilly and old-fashioned thumping, while keeping pace with former drummer Charles Bailey, whose tom-heavy rushes in “The Ride” reveal a restrained madness.

The album comes with two radio edits, for “Look Away” and “The Ride.” The band seems to have an exclusivity deal with the “F” word — for which there can be no better, substitute profanity — but the content won’t seem egregious for most listeners.

The album is available at the band’s shows, or through iTunes, Spotify and online retailers. Find out more about Secondhand Jones at www.secondhandjones.com. - The Gadsden Times