If Kings of Leon did americana.
Buffalo Traffic Jam is an act that is generating an awful lot of noise at the moment, as well as being one of the hottest concert tickets in town, based on some significant support slots in the US and the UK and festival appearances, the guys are selling out UK venues such as Camden’s Electric Ballroom and Manchester Academy 2, the numbers attached to the band are impressive; having released their first music in early 2024, they have rapidly built a huge following, with more than 240 million streams worldwide, the single Fool’s Gold alone has been streamed in excess of 94 million times, it’s impressive stuff. The duo is also signed to a major label, and Pictures of You is their debut album. The name Buffalo Traffic Jam comes from something that is not uncommon in Montana: traffic jams caused by bison wandering onto the roads and blocking them.
For a couple of guys in their early 20s, whose musical careers have taken off rapidly, Frankie Cassidy and Nathan Ross come across as down-to-earth and level-headed in interviews. After meeting at university in Bozeman, Montana, they bonded over a shared love of music and playing covers together. Having degrees in architecture and mechanical engineering, respectively, they also have something to fall back on should the unlikely situation arise where their music careers are not successful.
The indie folk duo has a definite signature sound, primarily acoustic; Cassidy has a vocal sound similar to a cross between Chris Turpin of Ida Mae and Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon, and overall comparisons will surely be drawn with Mumford & Sons. In addition to his lead vocals, Cassidy contributes acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, harmonica, and background vocals, whereas Ross chimes in with electric guitar, mandolin, harmonica, and background vocals. Both Cassidy and Ross compose the tunes and write the lyrics; on the album, Cassidy and Ross’ contributions are augmented by Collins McLaughlin (fiddle), Dune Butler (bass), Josh Neumann on cello, Sam Westhoff on bass, drums and guitar, William Sage (drums) and Charles Wicklander (keyboards). Joe Becker gets a writing credit on the song I Don’t Care and also contributes bass, drums, and piano.
The show opens with Hanging on Hope, which is an inoffensive way to kick things off, progressing at a relatively gentle pace with angst-filled lyrics: “Well I’ve been sleeping restless, Unless I’m heavy on the smoke, I’m staring at the sky now, With these feelings I don’t show, I’ll let a little grin grow, From those kind words you spoke.” Too Young to Die is a single from the album and features a really nice mandolin solo. The song builds to its conclusion with lyrics that continue a theme which appears to underpin many of the songs here: “So take my soul and put it in the sky, I swear I’m too young, too young to die, Bury my bones in this field where I lay, I know I’m not the man, You’ll love some day.”
By the time you’ve listened to Buyin Dirt, the fourth cut on the LP, you may be starting to think that all of the songs are sounding pretty much the same; sure, there are different tempos and melodies at play, even the arrangements differ, but the fundamental, core sound, dominated by Cassidy’s vocals and mandolin and/or acoustic guitar. Then Pictures of You Interlude emerges; it’s a short song (one minute and 24 seconds), and the words are spoken rather than sung; it serves as a welcome break and change in soundscape. The song appears to encapsulate Cassidy’s inspiration for the entire album, as he has previously described, “When I lost my grandma this past fall, I went back home to my parents’ farm for a couple of days. Together, we sat down and sifted through old photos to display at her funeral, and it felt like living my whole life over again. Every image, old and recent, was a chapter in our family’s story. I began writing our first album shortly after, and l realized these songs were doing the same thing.”
The title track, which is another one of the singles that preceded the LP’s release, brings us back to the core sound; it’s a good song, very reflective lyrically: “And I’m staring at the moon, The moon, the moon, With old pictures of you.” Later we see the subject of the song looking back: “Cause I’ve baptized, Cheated on, married twice, I don’t even know where to go, You said you needed space, I’ve got time to waste, I don’t even have a home.” Fool’s Gold previously appeared on the duo’s 2005 Take Me Home EP (Buffalo Traffic Jam’s second EP) and was the song that perhaps did most to raise awareness of the duo and their music. It’s the standout cut on the LP.
I Don’t Care brings more of the lyrical theme that pervades the record, “And I’m so lonely, I could find you in a crowd, I finally found peace when you’re not around, When will someone show me love?” and later “I don’t care that you’re gone.” The record closes on a high with Afraid to Fall in Love Again, a song which once again has a similar lyrical theme, but musically, after a slow start, there’s a lot of energy towards the climax of the song.
You might find that the songs tend to blend into one after a while and Cassidy’s voice can be a little wearing on extended listening. However, there are some good songs here and if your musical tastes include acts of the ilk of Mumford & Sons, it’s highly likely that you’re going to enjoy this record.
