George Hunter of the Chicago trio Catfish Haven is dead-right when he proclaims, “We’re Catfish Haven and this is what we do!” on the opening track of their EP Please Come Back. His raspy wail and the no-frills brand of Southern rock are scorching and this EP has been playing for days. Stripped of almost everything frivolous or completely necessary, this is bare-bones bluesy soul music. Howling about love and booze might sound like its been done before, but this band is rowdy enough (but also friendly enough) to be your perfect drinking partner.
Despite being from the sprawling metropolis of Chicago, Catfish Haven takes most of its influences from much further south. The band was named after the trailer park Hunter grew up in and their sound has been compared to Kings of Leon or My Morning Jacket, but somehow that comparison seems a bit narrow. Maybe it is their raucous energy, but I don’t think it would be a stretch to mention them in the same breath as southern country-punks like Lucero or Against Me!
Please Come Back is out now on the Secretly Canadian label. Pass the Maker’s Mark, turn your stereo up as loud as it will go, and play “Please Come Back” (below). It don’t get no better than this.
MP3 | Catfish Haven – Please Come Back Please Come Back
MP3 | Catfish Haven – The Love I’m Saving Please Come Back
These guys are great. Nice post. I dig their EP quite a bit. Pitchfork gave it a 7.6.
Delicious. I had catfish for dinner tonight too. Crazy!
i love catfish haven. love.
Great post . . . these guys truly deserve the pub they’ve been getting as of late.