Right off the bat, one look at the liner notes for this release tells the story of an interesting dichotomy to this album, the debut from the band Shady Cats. Though there’s no mistaking that guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Grady Crumpler is the de facto leader of the band, on certain songs he almost seems like a guest artist on his own band’s album. Take for example the guest lead vocal from the esteemed popster Don Dixon, of the ’70′s pop/rock band Arrogance and the early ’80′s MTV hit Praying Mantis. How often have you heard of a band calling in a better vocalist than the leader to take the helm on a song? I can’t speak for every album ever released but one would guess never. It’s almost an unspoken rule never to show up the regular singer as he’s the one the band’s gotta live and die with from song to song and gig to gig. However, it happens here with Dixon. A singer by the name of Phil Spence takes a lead vocal on the album as well. Not sure if he’s a “name” vocalist of not, but he sings better than both Crumpler and Dixon.
The band itself sounds like a tight unit, and it should be. Together since the late ’90′s after meeting at a private party in which a Crumpler solo set was the entertainment, the band once was named Grady Crumpler and Last Call before selecting their current moniker and began recording this record back in 2001. Calling in several skilled producers to helm the boards including Chapel Hill NC legend John Plymale, Crumpler gives the impression that this album has been an ongoing effort with many starts and stops. Even so, you aren’t able to tell from listening, which is a definite sign Crumpler hired the right producers for the job.
The first song, “Love Callin’”, sounds like a male version of Rosanne Cash’s old hit “Seven Year Ache” in that it combines rock, country, and a four-on-the-floor dance beat together to come up with a pure pop confection that transcends genres. Crumpler’s vocals are very solid here and this is a great start for the record as it gets everything going at a fast clip with a great song that sure sounds as if it belongs on radio. The next song, “Lost Myself”, has a solid roots feel and is a bit more rock-oriented than the first cut, with Crumpler’s plantive vocals and Ennio Morricone-sounding guitar lines. There is a pattern here: Crumpler’s songs have a ton of hooks and are relatively short, sticking with a philosophy of getting in, making an impact and getting out so the listener wants more.
“She Kisses Me With Her Eyes” comes next and Crumpler and the band turn the guitars and the tempo loose and hit the song like a floorboarded Ferrari hits the street. It features a great pseudo-metal guitar solo from Crumpler who manages to keep it short-and-sweet. The following song, “In The Moment”, is the anomaly in the rock world I have referred to earlier. Here the lead singer takes a back seat to let someone else sing. However, when someone of the caliber of Don Dixon shows up, it’s warranted, though I am surprised the esteemed Dixon did not also choose to play bass. The song is produced by Chapel Hill vet Plymale and Dixon sounds ten years younger with a lot of the gruffness removed from his voice in favor of a smooth, youthful sounding rock vocal performance. The band is as tight as ever on this track.
For the next song, “You Got A Way”, the band is reduced to a power trio for this slightly jazzier number until the solid wall of rock guitars kick in at the start of the chorus and the song becomes a full-throttle stomper. “Lines” is the next song and features a guest appearance by Gladhand Wes Lachot playing the B-3 on a great roots rock song reminiscent of Eric Ambel or Duane Jarvis’ best work. “Lines” is another catchy song that ought to be a decent sized country hit.
“I Want Independence” takes the proceedings a little to the left as the song is almost metal, making it the odd one out. Then again, it’s not bad, so if nothing else, it shows the band as very versatile. While Crumpler’s vocals don’t scream metal, he does a serviceable job that may have sounded better with a different producer and better production values. “Take Me” comes next and is a blazing riff rocker that sounds like early Tom Petty right down to the swirling organ. Here again, a guest vocal from Phil Spence has him sounding like he belongs in the spot. There is nothing wrong with Crumpler’s vocals so far, but Spence has a better voice and presence than Crumpler on this harder-edged rock song.
Following is the much-mellower “All The Way”. This is a great “come-down” song after the rock of the previous cut. The song has a great synth hook, also played by Crumpler, and sounds like something out of the late-’70′s with a danceable beat tailor-made for The Hustle. The next song is “Till The Rain Comes” and shows Crumpler handling all instruments except bass and drums. The vocals are decidedly better on this Plymale-produced cut, and the song has a nice summery hook to it. This would be a great song for the radio about, say, late April. The final song, “Desperation”, starts with dirge-like piano by Darren Mitchell and slowly starts to get more bombastic with the drums, bass, and some heavy guitar hitting at the start of the second verse as well as some sweet layered background vocals. A little bit of Led Zep’s piano from “All of My Love” is heard at the end of the song.
Though Love Callin’ is a bit lo-fi, the production is as top-notch as one could expect. The use of three producers does not detract from this album as Crumpler and Shady Cats have managed to hone their own country-tinged pub-rock sound. While some songs have obviously big, sing-along hooks, Crumpler has the knack of also penning songs that subtly lull you until the hook works its way into your brain. As his songwriting matures another notch or two, he should become a real force in the music world. Between now and then, I will be listening to this album quite often.
Review by Scott Homewood
