THREE BY SEA: Toughcats come ashore. |
Of the 3877 songs currently on my iPod (generation two, 20 gigs) none had “unclassifiable” in the genre description until I loaded the Toughcats’debut full-lengthinto my iTunes. That includes locals like Okbari (“world”) and nationals like Sufjan Stevens (“folk”) whom I consider painted with a pretty broad brush by the world’s portable music juggernaut, so I was surprised when iTunes just punted on the description for Piñata.Do the Toughcats employ some kind of crazy combination of cello, birdcage, xylophone, and theremin? Well, no, actually, that’d be local art poppers Seekonk (who play “rock,” according to iTunes). Rather, the ‘Cats play pretty simple old-school instruments like banjo, mandolin, drums, and guitar. I’d call them “old-timey” and, sometimes, “bluegrass.” But there’s no denying they do some weird stuff.
At a recent Chicky’s Fine Diner show, drummer Jake Greenlaw (who with his red-haired and crazed playing draws easy comparisons to Animal) came out from behind his kit and did a hand-percussion take on the body of Joe Nelson’s metal National guitar. Banjoist/mandolinist Colin Gulley provided the lead melody by playing his open mouth with his cupped hands.
They might get jazzy with a piece like “Stormy Weather,” with Nelson’s guitar in the lead on an off-time rhythm, and without an obvious hook being repeated, but this still ain’t exactly fusion.
Generally, the Toughcats lend a contemporary and interesting feel to Scruggs-style bluegrass, deep South ragtime, and singer-songwritery folk that shows a great feel for songwriting and fine musicianship. Particularly, Gulley’s right hand on the banjo is supple and quick, equally able to handle the ballad and burner, and Greenlaw’s and Nelson’s combined rhythm work puts that in the spotlight without fading themselves into the background.
It’s likely they get plenty of time to practice. The three live on the isolated island of North Haven, an hour-and-a-half ferry ride from Rockland, as part of a population of 350 other folks who can’t exactly get Domino’s delivered in 30 minutes. Why not practice 40 hours a week? Or, better yet, create a ballet for third graders from Deerhoof’s Milk Man and invite the San Francisco art rockers to attend (they did — see "Milk ME," page 4).
As Piñata’s opening “Out on the Ocean” puts it, “Went out on the ocean today/Can’t leave town without her okay.” The hyper Dixieland vibe that pushes this tune is where the band really excel, Gulley just ripping out his banjo roll and making you nod your head when they note, “Toughcats don’t take no shit.” I suspect most of the other tunes are influenced by island life as well.
The sound is certainly influenced by being recorded in the island’s Waterman’s Community Center — that you can hear the room generally works for their sound, warming things up with a slight echo for Greenlaw’s snare on “Thunderbird” during its minor-key and half-time opening, then helping add punch when the tune amps up at the two-minute mark. Much of this may be thanks to the mix job given by former Butthole Surfer bassist Kramer (who also handled Harpswell Sound’s latest), but there are other times when he seems to bury the banjo on “Lantern” and “Let ’er Rip,” so I’m not sure how much credit to assign. It’s lo-fi, but doesn’t seem like it’s trying too hard (in this case, a good thing).
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
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Sam Pfeifle: sam_pfeifle@yahoo.com.
