SONS OF FATHERS

Ok, I am finally out of the blog cave again, this time for a very good reason. I spend most of my time listening to old music because 95% of new music sounds like crap to my ear. I am always hoping for something new to excite me, but most of the time I am disappointed. Then it’s back to the Bob, Merle, Waylon and the usual suspects.

I still hope for the excitement of spinning a new disk and being blown away by what comes out of the speakers. This experience is even sweeter if it is a debut album. Can you remember hearing Are You Experienced, Music from Big Pink or Excitable Boy for the first time? I can.  Unfortunately, those kind of musical moments are few and far between.

A couple of weeks ago when Robert Earl Keen played in Corpus Christi, I got talking to Bill Whitbeck after the show. Bill plays bass in the band but more than that he is an incredible musician who has great taste in music. He likes Bob Dylan as much as I do and can sing like Merle Haggard, which is something, I definitely can’t do. He told me about a band that his son has formed called Sons of Fathers. He said they just released an album and I should check it out. It took me a couple of weeks to get around to it, but I’m glad I did. It is great.

They main players behind Sons of Fathers are David Beck and Paul Cauthen. They came together as a duo but have now added another guitar and drums to round out the band. It is their original compositions and vocals harmonies that make Sons of Fathers such an impressive debut.  The production by Lloyd Maines, who did the same for Robert Earl Keen on his last two albums, captures a clean, authentic sound that compliments the great songwriting on every cut.

All of the songs on the album are good but several are real standouts. The opener, Weather Ballons, has great lyrics and a very catchy tune. Listen to it more than once and it will be stuck in your head. David Beck's upright bass gives the song a nice bottom and teams well with Cauthen's guitar. Someone does a good job on piano as well. Adam and Eve is another great track with more good piano that compliments the lead guitar and singing.

The band has a sound that is hard to categorize. Is it country, alt-country, folk? I’m not sure what to say other than that it has the depth and quality of real roots music. It’s not loud, but it still rocks. There isn't a bad cut on the whole album. The record has a real ensemble feel to it that reminds me of the early work of The Band.

 One of the disadvantages of iTunes is that I am a little in the dark as to who is playing what on each track. It doesn’t really matter because it is that good. I am looking forward to seeing them live the next chance I get.

I am recommending Sons of Fathers highly. It is one of the best CD's of the year. Check it out at Amazon or on iTunes. You will not be disappointed.