Buju & Friends

The Red Clay Strays are carrying the torch for Southern rock. The Mobile, Alabama, band find the sweet spot between swampy throwback rock and of-the-moment Americana with <i>Made by These Moments</i>, produced by the beloved Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson). Buoyed by the viral hit “Wondering Why” from the band’s 2022 release <i>Moment of Truth</i>, this follow-up comes as The Red Clay Strays find wider prominence, including an Emerging Artist of the Year nomination at the 2024 Americana Music Honors & Awards. <i>Made by These Moments</i> opens with “Disaster”, a slow-building apocalypse anthem with echoes of Nathaniel Rateliff and early Kings of Leon. “No One Else Like Me” is a melodic showcase for vocalist Brandon Coleman, who knows when to wail and when to hold back and can wring emotion out of even the quietest note. Other highlights include the crackling, downtrodden “Drowning”, which guitarist Drew Nix wrote while struggling to make ends meet earlier in the band’s career, and “On My Knees”, a bona fide foot-stomper with major Allman Brothers vibes, slide guitar and all.