Press
“Musically, 'Shotgun' sounds like the result of Steve Earle hopping on stage with Big Star in a dimly lit dive bar with a healthy dose of early Old 97’s. Riggleman’s voice rings with a prophetic honesty over overdriven guitar chords. The song’s mid-tempo lilt sounds like the open road...Riggleman & Co remain grounded in their country roots while allowing their eyes and ears to gaze up at the night sky.”
“With 'Alive and Dying Fast', the band isn’t afraid to slow things down a bit in order to accentuate and compliment the real star of the show here—Riggleman’s evolved songwriting...it’s an emotional journey of an album, helmed by someone with the skill and depth to shade and color every single peak and valley.”
“'Alive and Dying Fast' burns like hot tar, from the murderous romper 'Letter For Rose' to the working musician’s cry 'Wild Card'...With such an affecting debut, Tucker Riggleman & the Cheap Dates arrive as one of alt-country’s most promising and crucial keys for the future of the format.”
“With his special brand of catchy beats and despondency, Riggleman and his musical projects are a band of all seasons, and the Cheap Dates is his tightest band yet...'Void' is that perfect combination of nostalgia and ennui that Riggleman has put a lock on. With some of his best songwriting to date, this is going to be quite the album.”
“There are all these moments on 'Alive and Dying Fast' where the lyrics perfectly crystallize a thought or experience I’ve been having...In truth, serendipity isn’t the sole reason these lines resonate. Riggleman pairs moments of clarity with the everyday mayhem that surrounds them, such that you earn those rare realizations as you listen along. It’s beautifully immersive writing — highly recommended for a nightly shout into the void.”
“On 'Alive and Dying Fast', Tucker Riggleman grapples with his dark side, in a way that only an alt-country singer with influences like the Cure and the Replacements can...The band, for me, recalls the Old 97’s or Son Volt, in their alternative rock meets country feel, and with lyrics that dig deeper below the surface...the mortality of the album, the smell of death through the floorboards, is certainly there. Like most country albums, there are the romantic, sunny parts...but it is the craftsman of a real writer that helps us as listeners get at the real substance of life.”
“Tucker Riggleman & The Cheap Dates have clearly heard Westerberg’s music a lot…'Storming in Memphis' showcases some of the sly humour and the desperation that characterized records like 'Tim' and 'Let it Be'.”
— Alt77
“The standout 'Storming in Memphis' is a jangly road ode that recalls the work of twang-rock predecessors like Drivin N Cryin and the Bottle Rockets. It’s a slice of old school alt-country, with Riggleman rattling off mundane ways to pass time on the highway, but he ultimately sounds like a guy who can’t wait to get back to the party, singing, 'You’ve only got four directions, so pick a dive bar and hammer down'.”