Review by Ritchie Birnie for MPM
Nashville husband and wife led band Parker Barrow have already outlived the collaboration of the bands namesakes (Bonnie and Clyde) and with Hold the Mash they could very well become more infamous.
If you are aware of this band you may already have heard a number of these tracks as it is made up of songs from their latest EP, with three new recordings including an incredible cover of a Black Crowes song.
With some slide in the intro of “The Healer” I was instantly won over but when Megan Kane comes in the chills ran up my spine. This is a female led Black Crowes in their heyday. This is a stunning track to open with and it has more boogie than a 70s dance floor.
We have a Rolling Stones swagger on “Blinded” and Keef would love to lay down riffage this good. This is power Blues dipped in Soul with a whole heap of Southern attitude.
We do not let up on “Nothing Left to Save”, the riffs keep coming, the good times keep rolling and you just need to sit back and embrace the stunning songwriting.
The old organ is out on “Novocaine” and not for the first time Megan has me thinking of a Tina Turner in her prime. The power of her voice is awe inspiring and screams hear me, love me and behold your new goddess.
The first thing that hits you is always the voice but the guitar work is utterly sublime. This is a band standing on the precipice and diving in without a doubt they will fly.
The Blues in my soul is dragged out on “Olivia Lane”. All it takes is a voice and an acoustic guitar. So simple yet so heart wrenching. This is a standout song for 2026. Pure perfection.
The groove is out on “Make It” with some outstanding work from backing singers. This is Soul, this is gospel and this is so in my wheelhouse it actually hurts. This is a band that manages to capture how pure live music is and if you are in the UK you get a chance to witness this first hand very soon and it is not a show you want to miss.
We go full on sultry on “Glass eyes” and we see the depth and diversity this band has. This album excites me so much it borders on when I discovered the likes of Black Crowes and Georgia Satellites, two of my favourite live bands and the energy is exactly the same.
Gimme some banjo, gimme some acoustic guitar and gimme some “Ruby’s Reckoning”. This is a bit more laid back, this is sitting on a porch, moonshine in hand and shooting cans in the distance. Can you get a song more good time than this?
How do you feel about covers? me I struggle with them, very rarely do they even come close to the original so why bother but if you are going to go for it why not rip that bitch a new one as this band does on “My Morning Song”.
This may be a homage but you know they sat down and said if we are going to do this we do it right and we will just rock the shit out of it. Absolutely incredible and if you asked me if a woman could sing this instead of Mr Robinson I would have laughed in your face and walked away. The fact I fell in love with it instantly tells you all you need to know.
Parker Barrow are headed for stardom. This is a band that has only one possible way to fail and that is at their own hands just like the Crowes did when they imploded.
The album is available to pre-order on CD and vinyl from Parker Barrow’s store here – https://shop.presspressmerch.com/collections/parker-barrow#shopify-section-main-collection
The upcoming shows are all in small venues so book your tickets now as I guarantee you will never see them in a more intimate surrounding again. Hold The Mash is everything for fans of Black Crowes, The Temperance Movement and Greta Van Fleet and like the latter you can catch them before the world is at their feet.
Tickets available from – https://www.weareparkerbarrow.com/tour
