Last year, the Red Clay Strays found themselves fully embraced by the country-music establishment, winning the CMA Award for Vocal Group of the Year. Chalk up their Nashville acceptance to the band’s Mobile, Alabama, roots, maybe, or the Southern drawl of chiseled lead singer Brandon Coleman. But on Grateful, the Strays’ third album, they reveal themselves to be not country’s next great group, but a bona fide rock & roll band. And a God-fearing one at that.
Reuniting with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb, who oversaw the six-piece’s 2024 effort, Made by These Moments, the Strays deliver an urgent, timely record that stands toe to toe with anything coming out of the rock world. There are slippery slide-guitar jams about cheating kinfolk, like “Don’t Wanna Know,” choogling Ronnie Van Zant homages like “Down South,” and even whip-smart indictments of those who co-opt religion for nefarious means in “Demons in Your Choir.”
Christian imagery and faith itself form the band’s bedrock. Listen to “Revival,” which seems ripped out of a hymnal. “Come spark revival, and be filled with glory/Through His power, your broken-heart story/It’ll be made stronger … amen,” Coleman sings. It’s a blast of gospel rock with a message that doesn’t come across as cheesy lip service or, even worse, cringey Christian rock.
The band does admit to having a good time on tour in “Down South,” its most Skynyrd-sounding offering yet, but brush off clamoring female fans who may have more on their minds. It can be tempting to assume the Strays are red-pilled evangelists. But Coleman and his frequent co-writers, brothers Matthew and Dakota Coleman, and guitarist Drew Nix, aren’t afraid to cast a critical eye toward a false prophet: “Demons in Your Choir” is a cautionary tale about following wolves wearing the shepherd’s clothing, complete with a choir to drive home the drama.
The best of rock & roll has always had a message. On Grateful, the Strays make the case that theirs is worth listening to. Or at least playing really loud.
