Rusty Reid & The Unreasonables drop a Vintage Rock Opus

Not too familiar with the sounds of Rusty Reid & The Unreasonables, then it's about time to join the party, as the artist recently released a massive album that spans such an amazing variety of classic and indie rock with genuine and aesthetically vintage tonalities, along with songwriting that feels driving but inviting at the same time.

The release is called The Unreasonables, and wastes very little time jumping in with its insanely catchy rock staples with the very first track, "Hot as a Pistol.

Right off the bat, you get this driving and sort of fuzz tone, almost garage rock-sounding guitar, and the riff is addictive and classic.

You also have soulful guitar work in the underbelly of this track on an almost constant basis, along with drums that drive everything, but also give the track and the entire album, for that matter, a lot of life.

I can't express enough how the soundscape of this record hits this amazingly vintage tone. The aesthetic was aimed for and nailed 100%.

A great example is just how the drums were actually recorded. You have this classic drum tone and sound throughout the record that really helps the vintage classic rock aesthetic come through in shining colors.

The guitar worked throughout the entire record is outstanding, delivering loads of soul, inventive, slightly outside-the-box but very familiar-feeling riffs and segments.

This is a very guitar-driven record, as again, it is pure rock and roll, classic rock, indie rock, and more.

There are even elements of old school punk in there at times. Not all the songs share this attribute, but some of them certainly do, and I just think it's outstanding how there was so much attention paid to the arrangements and how the energy of the songs comes through the way they were meant to.

There's something about the way this record was built and recorded that makes you feel like you're in the room and in the moment with them.

It seems almost like everything was recorded live on the floor, and everyone involved was feeding off of each other's energies the entire time.

The record is packed with melodic hooks and almost anthemic choruses that give you bouts of nostalgia because you feel like you're listening to a record that was released in the late 70s or early 80s.

Now, this is a huge record. The album as a whole spans 19 songs, and a lot of them stand on their own two feet as singles extremely well, but listening to the whole album is a real doozy.

This is an album you don't want to miss any songs from because if you like a few of them, you're going to love the whole record.

Listening to a few tracks off of this will give you a bit of an idea or gist of what you may expect on the full album; however, it will not give you the entire spectrum of what the record has to offer.

There's so much going on, so many layers of great guitar work, melodic and soulful vocal performances, massive hooks left and right, and one of my favorite aspects about the record is that it gives you instrumental or guitar hooks as well.

Guitar hooks are an imperative part of rock music, in my opinion. Over the years, I've seen this aspect sort of drop out, and I have never liked it.

Great guitar work is the essence of rock, and to have an album that brings back guitar hooks that are just as catchy as the choruses at times is brilliant.

This is an album that brings back a lot of what we've been missing, and genuine rock music, and it's something that a lot of indie rock bands strive to achieve.

The difference is that we're listening to something that feels authentic from a certain time. It's a different era of rock music that I'm hearing on this record, and it comes through so aesthetically perfect that I can't tell the difference.

This is an album worth listening to from start to finish. You get such a lush and full-bodied experience by doing it this way, and so many songs on the record stand tall, amongst a lot of the stuff that you hear on the radio in the past, and these days as well.

If you are a fan of this late '70s or early '80s era of classic rock music then you're going to love this record. Some songs and approaches make me think of bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, for example.

This, to me, was a high point in rock music, and it's amazing that Rusty and his band can capture that feeling so well.

This was done with outstanding attention to the little details. The tones of the instruments, the way it was recorded, the songwriting, it all came together like puzzle pieces.

Check this record out because if you're a fan of rock music and any facet, you're going to absolutely love this. There's almost no record more genuinely rock than this one that I've heard in a long time.

While you do that, check out our interview with Rusty below so you can find out more about where this record came from and Rusty himself.

Don't forget where you heard this first.

Buzz Slayers: Let's talk about The Unreasonables! This record boasted quite a southern and classic rock approach a lot of the time and with such character embedded!  Where did this one come from? 

Hey, thanks for the interview. Yeah, this is quite a bit different from my previous releases. It’s a throwback to my old style, with my band The Unreasonables. No philosophical or political or spiritual themes here, just raw, primal, lustful rock and roll. It’s good to just cut loose sometimes.

Buzz Slayers: I'm hearing a few different styles to this release! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

For this album, I’d say I’m probably subconsciously channeling groups like the Cars, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, AC-DC. Yet, happily we seemed to come up with a style fairly unique, I think, even if squarely in the rock genre.

Buzz Slayers: How do songs come to you? Do you record at a home set up?

I wrote all of these songs at home, usually just by noodling around on acoustic guitar at first. Then we went into a studio. Most of these are live, first or second takes, with some overdubbed vocals and guitar bits.

Buzz Slayers: How did this all start for you as an artist or songwriter? When did you fall in love with music really?

Oh, gosh. I was tuning into songs on the radio and in the family record collection by the age of five or six, and soon I was humming original melodies in the backseat on family road trips. If I drove my parents crazy, they never much complained. My mom’s side of the family was very musical, and she encouraged me to learn properly. I took piano lessons for five years or so, then switched over to guitar. Despite my melodic musings, I was an awful songwriter at first. But I kept at it, and within a few years had penned a few that I actually liked. Soon thereafter, my “batting average” improved.

Buzz Slayers: Are you performing live right now? Any touring in support of the release?

No live performances at the moment, and no tour planned. I’d love to do one, though.

Buzz Slayers: Now that this is out, what's next for you?

I have an album in the can that is pretty much complete. It’s a total switch for me: all cover tunes. There’s a unique common theme to them all which I can’t divulge just yet, but I’m hoping to get it out in early 2026.

Buzz Slayers: Who's in your headphones right now?

Being from Texas originally, I’m intrigued by the career path of Lukas Nelson. We share some melodic and lyrical orientations, and even themes. He’s got a new song out now about Montana, and the last song I wrote is about Yellowstone (which is partially in Montana). A buddy also lent me the new book on the Everly Brothers. I’m listening to their songs as I read through the book. What a great vocal group they were. Of course, up here in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, I’m always interested to see what Brandi Carlile is up to now.

Buzz Slayers: What would you tell people they can expect on this release?

Melodic, catchy tunes, lots of hooks, fun lyrics, my quirky singing, and some, literally, world-class playing. Rick Poss on lead guitar is worth the ticket by himself. In my opinion, the tunes not to miss are “Attitude Change,” “Shock Me,” “Piece of the Action” and “Let’s Just Talk.” Those are probably the most “commercial.”

Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music? 

Thanks much for your interest in my music. For us Indie artists, every fan is precious.

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