Devastator
Catfish Haven
Score:75
Reviewer: Ed Butler
Label: Secretly Canadian (USA, UK & Australia)
Reviewed: Oct 13th '08, Released:2008
The phrase ‘crossover hit’ has picked up a life of its own in recent years. Denoting the band that makes the sought after leap from indie obscurity to some measure of commercial success; it has reached ever-greater heights of late. Modest Mouse had a crossover hit with ‘Float On’, Franz Ferdinand with ‘Take Me Out’.
Which brings us to the delightfully named Catfish Haven, and their third album, Devastator. The Chicago-based indie-R ‘n’ B outfit are not, and likely will never be, a crossover success. They remain resolutely determined to produce traditional rhythm and blues – imagine the Blues Brothers still kicking around the diner circuit, having long ago been abandoned by their hirsute horn section.
Like Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings last year, Catfish Haven have foregone commercial appeal in their enthusiastic embrace of a rigidly stylized sound. However, while making world domination tougher, making straight-up old school R ‘n’ B is certainly no inhibitor of some damn fine tunes.
And none come finer than the opener, ‘Are You Ready’. Defiantly dispensing with a question mark, it is a straight-up slice of thumping bluesy groove, recorded live, and an ideal introduction to the sound Devastator has to offer. Frontman, lyricist and guitarist George Hunter is possessed of a set of pipes that blues and rock singers the world over must grow up lusting after, throaty, coarse and unimaginably shout-along-able.
So, no, Catfish Haven are unlikely to take the world by storm – after all they probably would have by now if they ever were – but adherence to genre should be no obstacle to those looking for good-time music. If only the music business would allow some unpretentious entertainment through occasionally, the world would be a happier place. And Catfish Haven would get that little bit more attention – attention that, on the basis of this effort, they thoroughly deserve.
