You’ve got to have been living under a rock for the past four years to not know 49 Winchester’s trademark anthem, ‘Russell County Line’. With its delicate keys, meaningful lyrics and big band outro, it has become their signature. The problem is, when you land a song like that - the crowd-pleaser - it becomes incredibly hard to top.

Enter, Change Of Plans, the next chapter for 49 Winchester. The ten-track album is laid heavy with the band’s Virginia grit and Southern resolve. With four released singles already, tracks like ‘Slowly’ have already garnered millions of streams.

Taking inspiration from the 70’s, this album is packed with riffs and melodies that nod to the golden age of rock music. It is perfectly apt that Winchester have added their inimitable sound to the Black Sabbath cult classic, ‘Changes’. As front man Isaac Gibson croons, “I’m going through changes”, the pain and angst of a journey full of the unknown is dutifully delivered by the impressive band behind him.

From the honky-tonk hoot, ‘Bringin’ Home The Bacon’ to the beautifully pensive ‘Oh Savannah’, Change Of Plans has it all. In just ten songs, Winchester have delivered a pocketful of stories amalgamated with introspective lyrics and a clear path forward.

That being said, with such an emphasis on the sound, some tracks bleed into each other with a certain similarity, particularly amidst the melodies. This album isn't for the masses. It's for the troubadours, the searching souls and the ones that love to crank it up.

It's not for everyone, but for everyone that it's for, it's brilliant. There's no denying the craft behind it, with every detail bridging the gap between the listener and Appalachia.

7.6 / 10

Georgette Brookes

Listen to one of the stand-outs from the album, 'Bringin’ Home The Bacon', below:

Track Ratings:

1. The Window - 7/10
2. The Bluebird - 8.2/10
3. Changes - 8/10
4. All Around Me - 6/10
5. Slowly - 9/10
6. All Over Again - 6/10
7. Oh Savannah - 8.4/10
8. Bringin' Home The Bacon - 7.5/10
9. Pardon Me - 7.2/10
10. Heavy Chevy - 7.8/10

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