C.R. Avery, with his incredible band, has been around the east side of our city for a long time now and their latest record reminds me how great a place it is. From the first moment Chain Smoking Blues begins until the last note, which happens all too quickly (the eleven songs seem to take five minutes to play out they are that good), I get the feeling that moving here was the best choice I've made in an incredibly long time. You know when you walk along the street and run into people you know and then you reach the tip of your block and you pause, look around and you smile at how great it is? Yeah, that's the same feeling you get listening to this album.
Nobody can capture the poignant and beautiful presence of the east end like this band. They pick up on the strong variety of the neighborhood, a magnificent cultural peanut butter and jelly sandwich that does not exist anywhere else in the world. The Drive is perfection on sidewalk, but she is not a partner who wants you forever.
A large number of the songs on this album revolve around the theme of having to leave. Because splitting greatness is so horribly sad, these exodus numbers are heavy powerful (and so by reflective nature it makes me happy to be in a place that's so hard to leave).
If you have never heard a C.R. Avery song I'll try to describe the action this way. Imagine someone beat-boxing while playing the harmonica, singing and playing the guitar or the piano all at the same fucking time!
Supporting C.R. with that remarkable sound is David Herbert on Drums, Noah Walker on Guitar and Paul Surjadinata on Bass. There are a lot of revolving back up vocalists and some guest horns on a few tunes as well.
The overall sound rocks like syrup poured over hardwood on fire. An amazing sound. On the pick-up songs you are inspired to dance and kick in delight of being part of the band's pure notions of love and departure. Listening to the more somber tunes you end up watering your drink down with the tears you're crying from the sorrow they bear.
Currently the C.R. Avery band is on tour across the pond 'till December, but when they get back home check them out. In the mean time do yourself a huge favor and throw down the fifteen bucks it costs to own this record, it is worth it, even if it means the rent is a bit late.
