The brand new
album from C2C main stage act and Big Machine trio, The Cadillac Three, is
here. Next month could be a very important one for the continuing evolution of
a UK fan base for Jaren Johnston, Neil Mason and Kelby Ray, and with ‘Country
Fuzz’, they have a new selection of high-energy, face-melting tracks to add to
their set list.
It’s a diversion from their previous album, ‘Legacy’, which
introduced a much more reflective, softer vibe to the trio’s sound. In this,
their fourth studio album, we have a diverse, genre-blurring collection with a
mix of country, rock and pop influences. ‘Country Fuzz’ is very much a light-hearted
party album in comparison to their previous offerings. With the likes of ‘Bar
Round Here’, ‘Crackin’ Cold Ones With The Boys’ and ‘Raise Hell’, they’ve given
us their fair share of rebellious anthems that will go down a storm at their
rowdy live shows.
On first listen, you could be forgiven for feeling it’s a
little unimaginative in places, but ultimately they know exactly what their fan
base craves and ‘Country Fuzz’ is exactly that. However, when given a chance to
grow on you, the album does have some real moments of quality. The trio saved
the best till last with ‘Long After Last Call’ – one of the strongest tracks
they’ve released to date. A gorgeous, southern rock-tinged country melody with awesome
lead vocals from Jaren, it epitomises the strength of The Cadillac Three’s material
when they’re at their very best.
“Lemme be your drink, lemme be your buzz, Lemme be your smoke, that old head rush That keeps you flying, dying to dance Long after last call”
Surely a contender for a future single release to country
radio, this is the sort of material that could introduce trio to the mainstream
market in the US, which has somehow eluded them to date. That’s clearly something
they’ve been targeting, particularly with the release of ‘All The Makin’s Of A
Saturday Night’, which is being used on ESPN and ABC on College Football
broadcasts throughout this season. It’s gravelly, thumping southern rock with
some killer electric guitar that becomes one of the album’s strong-points, more
so with every listen. Alongside ‘Crackin’ Cold Ones With The Boys’, another badass
release, you have all the ingredients for a damn good redneck party playlist.
‘Hard Out Here For A Country Boy’ will inevitably become a
firm fan favourite, particularly with special guest appearances from Chris
Janson and the legendary Travis Tritt. Its big, anthemic singalong chorus will
become a huge moment in their set lists, and the harmonica solo from Chris
Janson adds his own signature flavour and something very different to the trio’s
sound.
The aforementioned diversity is on show with ‘Dirt Road
Nights’ in particular. Channelling some 80s synth-pop sounds and haunting
harmonies, mixed with the signature Cadillac Three grit, it’s one of the softer
and more commercially-appealing tracks on the album that could be another
potential single choice. ‘Jack Daniels’ Heart’ sees them adopting a rather
funky, dance-infused sound that does a great job of experimenting with a
different vibe whilst keeping the loyal fans on side with a clever take on a tried
and tested subject matter.
“That whiskey burns more than her leavin’ The more I drink the more I get to thinkin’ Who broke Jake Daniels’ heart?”
There’s something so loveable and infectious about The Cadillac
Three that’s hard to put your finger on. ‘Country Fuzz’ is a confident, diverse
collection from an authentic trio who are never reluctant to push boundaries,
and we very much look forward to seeing them again at the O2 in just a few weeks’
time.
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