Note: I regret that I could find very little actual information about this band on their website, on their Facebook page, and on their MySpace page.  Therefore band member names and anecdotal information are scarce in this article.  BUUUUUUT this album ROCKS, so hopefully my enthusiasm for the music will make up for my lack of background information on the band.

4x4 Cover Art

The 4×4 LP from 4 on the Floor is pure power.  It rocks.  It is dripping with the pent-up energy of a Minnesota spring.

I haven’t heard power vocals like this…maybe ever.  The singer’s voice is a healthy improvement on Ray LaMontagne and that singer from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones (Dicky Barrett).

The kick drum really drives this record.  In this sense, I feel like I am listening to a 1950′s-era Mississippi chain gang.  There are even parts on the record where you can hear and feel the chains dragging with the rhythm.  Awesome.

The record features a refreshing and sometimes minimalist approach to rhythm and blues.  To be sure, there are modern influences on the record, and at times I feel like the band is channelling its inner Jack White.  But other times, there are hints of Johnny Cash and delta blues.

Overall, this is a fabulous effort.  Congrats, guys!