Thursday, January 19, 2012

Review: Butch Walker “The Spade”


Singer/Songwriter/Rock
Readers of this blog should be well acquainted with our love of all things Butch Walker (see here). Walker got his start with the glam band Southgang, achieved one hit wonder status with his spectacular post-grunge alt rock band (The Marvelous 3), and is one of today’s most heavily sought after record producers. Along the way, he’s consistently cranked out numerous solo records filled with sharp melodies that are branded with his wry sense of humor.

The ten songs on “The Spade” were written and performed with Walker’s band, The Black Widows, with some help from Patrick Keeler of The Raconteurs. As expected, each song sparkles with Walker’s masterful production and rewards the listener with an abundance of tasty hooks to savor. Leadoff single “Summer of ‘89”, a nod to the Bryan Adams hit “Summer of ‘69”, is a fantastically nostalgic piece that is a modern song about life in the late 80s (video below). Lots of the other tunes allow Walker to indulge in his love of throwing different decades of sound into a single melting pot, as you’ll notice on “Every Single Body Else” and “Bodegas and Blood”. Be sure to check out the soulful rock of “Sweethearts”, the superb falsetto harmonies of “Day Drunk”, and the satirical “Synthesizers”, which has a distinct Dexy’s Midnight Runners feel in the chorus. The record doesn’t end as strong as it begins, although “Bullet Belt” has a terrific chorus worth holding out for.

For fans of Butch, you also don’t want to miss his autobiography, “Drinking With Strangers”. Check it out here.

Butch Walker – Official site.

Check out the video for “Summer of ‘89”

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