So it begins like this. I first heard of Catfish Haven when their Please Come Back EP came out back in 2006. Since then I’ve seen the band totally kill it live on a number of occasions. With their latest full-length offering Devastator, the band is back with another healthy dose of their unique brand of neo-soul rock music that despite the extra brass, keys, and soulful backup vocals, still manages to sound a little ragged and raw. Modern classic rock if you will.
As fans might expect, frontman George Hunter sill croons with a raspy wail that would make Sam Cooke proud, but the trio also shows their penchant for seventies hard rock riffs (“Full Speed”) can exist right alongside their jangly and bluesy indie Americana (“Set In Stone”). I mean, the band has toured with both The Hold Steady and Lucero, and calls this place (Chicago) home, ‘nuff said. Lyrically, by tackling topics like love and booze Catfish Haven ain’t reinventing anything but Devastator could just as easily be the name of a legendary doppelbock as it is the name of a rock record, so its probably no surprise that George, Miguel, and Ryan would most likely make great drinking partners.
So yeah, even though there is much less of a punk influence on Devastator than on previous records, the music of Catfish Haven still retains an energy sets it apart from just about everything and everyone else making music today. Even still, I’d recommend Devastator to fans of Lucero, The Hold Steady, or even Against Me!. My wife tells me the Haven reminds her of QOTSA, but I’m not hearing it… at all. You can pick up a copy of Devastator now from Secretly Canadian.
MP3 | Catfish Haven – Set In Stone Devastator
MP3 | Catfish Haven – Devastator Devastator
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