The Brought Low - Third Record

Detroit's Small Stone Records, owned and managed by outspoken rock 'n' roll aficionado (and Luder guitarist) Scott Hamilton, has been pumping out quality '70s-esque hard rock for nigh 15 years. Few Small Stone bands are local, but Hamilton has a knack for finding dirty, sludgy and perhaps even "Detroit" sounding bands in other cities.

Brooklyn's the Brought Low are a great example. Brooding and bluesy, the band abandons New York trust-fund pretension in favor of honest introspection and old-fashioned rock 'n' roll songwriting.

There's a bit of an Oasis-y favor to songs such as "Old Century," while the painfully beautiful "A Thousand Miles Away" suggests Humble Pie at their most melodic. The band gets its groove on with "My Favorite Waste of Time," albeit at its own sluggish pace. Third Record is a gritty and dusty, yet undeniably pretty, rock 'n' roll record, and there ain't a bad song on the thing. You can't ask for more than that these days.