Love Callin’ is an album about raw emotion and how we are all slaves to its unyielding will. Be it love, anger, or addiction, we have all felt it at one time or another, but Shady Cats knows how to make you feel it for the very first time again and again. The album comprises mainly of tracks of the pop/rock genre, but flirts often with country, southern rock and soul. On the surface this may seem a bit manic, but Shady Cats weaves these styles flawlessly into a tapestry that is a unique experience rich with life’s universal tales.
The first track on the album is its namesake, “Love Callin’.” Immediately this song draws you in with its soft-spoken melody and 60’s era hooks. This 60’s vibe is a reoccurring influence felt throughout the album. Vocally, lead singer Grady Crumpler is a bit reminiscent of Rob Thomas, particularly with this track. His voice has a southern quality that demands attention and a harmony that hits every note with ease. When combined with Shady Cats’s solid lyrics of how love can turn you life upside down, “Love Callin’” gives the perfect introduction to this album.
The second track, “Lost Myself,” sounds like the Beach Boys with a southern edge. The song is about losing yourself to anger, the denial of it and eventual acceptance. The track is extremely well produced. With soul plucking rhythms, this is the kind of song you’ll find yourself humming days later.
“She Kisses Me With Her Eyes” has single written all over it. It’s the Beatles jamming with New Found Glory while Roy Orbison acts as their muse. The lyrics tell a story that has been told in song throughout the ages. It’s a tale of longing, love at first sight, and that head-over-feet feeling that a complete stranger can give you without speaking a single word. Everyone has experienced this euphoric feeling at some point in his or her life, that’s why this song isn’t just a potential single, it’s a potential chart-topping hit!
“In The Moment” is a bit disappointing. It’s not bad, but it just doesn’t hold up to the quality of the rest of the album. Throughout the song the chorus builds but never delivers. Maybe it’s supposed to come off rough, but in the end it simply comes off as sloppy.
“You Got A Way” has some of the best guitar riffs off of Love Callin’. The best way to describe it is that it sounds like Clearance Clearwater Revival with a psychedelic twist. The lyrics cover a lot of the same ground as “She Kisses Me With Her Eyes.” It’s about how someone can have an unbelievable affect on you without ever even knowing your name.
“Lines” marks the point in Love Callin’ where Shady Cats begins experimenting with various genres of music–in this cases country. The change in genre is a bit jarring at first, but over all it works. It’s a country song about a life on the road and on drugs. While this theme is usually reserved for rock, Shady Cats makes it work.
With “I Want Independence,” Shady Cats ventures into a heavier form of rock. The change fits the tone of the lyrics perfectly as they touch on feelings of being smothered and trapped. This is a song about the burning desire to break free, and the near hard rock edge of this song swiftly delivers that feeling of a beast that craves to be unleashed.
Shady Cats sings the gospel of love with “Take Me.” It’s an extraordinarily soulful track about a longing for days gone by, and begging your girl to take you back. This track has the absolute best vocals off of Love Callin’, and should be the second main single released off this album–“She Kisses Me With Her Eyes” being the first.
If the Beatles were French they may have recorded a song like “All The Way.” It’s a moody laid back song that swims with a 60’s era influence. The track can be a bit boring, but it’s perfect relaxing on the beach music.
With “Till The Rain Comes” Shady Cats returns to their own sound. It’s songs like this that Shady Cats seems the most comfortable in their skin. It just feels like the melody comes easy to them. Lyrically the song is simple. It’s about a rain that washes away the dirt that builds over a lifetime. Smell the symbolism?
The last track off of Love Callin’ is “Desperation.” It’s a piano rock balled that certainty acts as a show stopping number. The vocals are haunting. The piano sets an intimate tone. The bang of the drums acts as a pulse, racing the heart of the story along. It’s about life. It’s about trying to stay afloat during the turmoil of life and how futile it can be, especially when you don’t realize what’s really going on around you. The story that this song spins is deep, gripping and powerful. Shady Cats definitely saved the best for last.
Love Callin’ is a testament to human nature’s more impulsive aspects. It’s delivered through smooth melodies, strong vocals and impressive arrangements. While the genres explored are many, it the pop/rock tracks with a 60’s era influence that allow Shady Cats to truly shine. It’s not a perfect album, but it’s damn close.
Review by Zack Daggy
