Some things are worth waiting for, no matter how long you might have to sit still and be patient. The Weeksโ debut release, โComeback Cadillac,โ finally arrives to fill the void, stop the toes from tapping and start the heads bobbing. The Weeks went through a growth period over the last two years, starting out on their own, then hooking up with Misha Herculesโ Olympic Records and finally joining forces with the formidable Esperanza Plantation label, which is responsible for turning out the final product.
Starting right out of the gate and in your face on the title track, The Weeks prove that they havenโt lost any steam in the process. When I first heard these songs two years ago, it was clear that The Weeks had heart and a straight-up rock-and-roll attitude. The only thing that has changed is that the delivery of the music is slightly more sophisticated. For some time now, I have always compared The Weeks to Kings of Leon, and if you are a fan of the Kings you will definitely see the resemblance. But The Weeks are increasingly becoming harder to put a finger onโthere is no particular band that The Weeks are trying to emulate. The influences are evidentโRilo Kiley, The Mars Volta, My Morning Jacketโand some even the band may not be aware of, like The Ramones and Iggy and the Stooges. Their sound is chunky, raw hard rock; their songs each have a story to tell.
My current favorite track is โDog Days,โ with the bass line echoing The Band and the sing-along chorus of โOh kiss me/Oh kiss me/Oh kiss me/And the summer will never end ล it is an instantly classic song of young summer love. โAltar Girlโ is another standout, radiating energy and worming its way into your brain with its infectious hooks.
Cyle Barnes has a way with his voice that is both effortless and passionate at the same time, especially on the heartbreakingly personal track, โHold It Kid (Your Heart Just Skipped A Beat).โ The song is sung to a child whose parents are both drug addicts: โJust dry your cheeks girl/ Wipe your eyes/Just close the door/Itโll be alright/Your daddyโs trippinโ with the needle in his armล Itโs a heavy song, but The Weeks crank it right back up with songs like โMississippi Rain,โ which evokes images of one of those muddy, steamy hot days that we know so well. Sammy Dโs lead guitar howls with just the right amount of southern-rock sound, and Cain Barnes, Chaz Lindsay and Damien Bone provide an ample rhythm section that keeps the music moving.
โSailor Songโ is a duet between Cyle Barnes and guest vocalist Allie Peden. The two voices combine sweetly on the sentimental chorus: โIf love is all you have/Then baby thatโs not bad/And if love is all you got/Thatโs a hell of a lotล Songs like this one show that The Weeks can rock your face off in one instant and give you a song to cry to the next without missing a beat. And who doesnโt love a band that toys with your emotions?
The Weeks will celebrate this long-awaited debut with a release party on July 5 at Swell-o-venue as part of the Esperanza Plantation BBQ Bonanza, along with fellow Esperanzites Allie Peden and Tommy and the Whale. โComeback Cadillacโ hits stores July 8.
Previous Comments
Nice cover art – Who did it?
#131896 | Author: Drexel73 | Date: Jul 6 2008
That would be Jonathan Blackwell. He is a local graphic artist. I love the cover art too!
#131897 | Author: andi | Date: Jul 6 2008
Jonathan is also in Questions in Dialect. And on Esperanza (label mates with The Weeks).
#131913 | Author: herman | Date: Jul 8 2008
