This may be attributable to a general band modesty that makes them really damn likable. Many bands would be tempted to ride the banjo lick in “Runway” into a 10-minute jam. The Toughcats get in and out of the song in 1:46, which is plenty of time to recall Bela Fleck and for Nelson to rip off a great guitar lead as part of a bridge slowdown. In fact, only two songs on Piñata are more than three minutes and three are less than two. They get 12 official tracks and a hidden piece into less than a half an hour, which makes this satisfying like a great sandwich for lunch, if not exactly a seven-course meal.
Which isn’t to say there isn’t variety. The fingerstyle guitar and mandolin of “Ball of Wax” could hardly be more different than the aggressive chunked guitar strum that turns into a funky low-end theory at the end of “043.” Nelson’s breathy vocals don’t show a ton of range, but the band use them to a couple of different effects, climbing the ladder from pure instrumental to a single repeated phrase to your standard verse-chorus-verse.
Arranged thoughtfully, the varying approaches of style and instrumentation make for an album that’s over before you know it — and playing again right away.
Toughcats | Dec 9 | with Sara Cox + Melvern Taylor and the Fabulous Meltones | at SPACE Gallery, in Portland | www.toughcats.com
Email the author
Sam Pfeifle: sam_pfeifle@yahoo.com.
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