Catfish Haven - 'Devastator' (Secretly Canadian) Released 06/10/08

"Are you ready?" sings Catfish Haven frontman Georges Hunter like a bastard son of Joe Cocker and Janis Joplin, packing an energy and boogie woogie like the Blues Brothers have taken over the local parish. There's an accessibility that's quite endearing - like the bar that can always guarantee a good time, or a college band that'll give the headlining act a licking. The amateurish garage-rock ascetic of Catfish Haven's 2006 'Tell Me' appears overcome, as the songs gather form, variation and hooks rather than being claggy jams. They're clearly a band with classic rock sensibilities, from the name (taken from the Missouri trailer park of Hunter's upbringing) and influences they wear on their sleeves - Traffic, Free, ZZ Top, Rod Stewart et al, whilst contemporaries The Hold Steady, Magnolia Electric Co., The Datsuns and The Strokes are camping close by.

That's not to say they're great with the lyrics, repetitive verse being the order of the day such as on title track 'Devastator', despite its' energy and sweaty good times. But the songs are there. At 'Set In Stone' the interest levels perk up as bluesy licks and wah wah guitar spar together, and 'Invitation To Love' has the classic celebratory riffs and time changes that makes ya wanna get a geetar as Hunter gruff-growls "...the owl in the trees/ called out to mee...".

'Tripping In Memphis' manages to hold a coherency as the bluesy strung out guitars stagger briefly, as 'Play The Fool' keeps the party feel going and 'Full Speed' guns the highway with a Jimmy Page-esque strat work-out. On 'No Escape' there's the Doobie Brothers-like riffs of the old nugget Long Train Runnin' that keeps the variation, but the honky tonk piano and manic bourbon-soaked capers of 'Running My Time' usher dancing on the pool table.

It's chocks away as album highlight 'Blue Sun' forms an epic space-rock snakebite of Hawkwind with The Cult, one to pine for and wig out to at festies. It's a ubiquitous name in song, and here with 'Valerie' penned by Hunter and sung with a bluesy-soul delivery, it's not hard to see Winehouse bending it into her shape, as the same mien is followed with the torch-song closer 'Everyday'.
  
Shoot yer best ball, there's beers hanging on it. Clearly not just a jam-fest - there's session workers but the complete band feel is there with Ryan Farnham on drums and Georges Hunter on guitar, as bassist Miguel Castillo gives the Red Hot Chili Peppers bass man, Flea, a run for his money, non more so than on the epic 'Blue Sun'. 'Devastator' is an album that requires a cooling off period, some phew wee time. Is this the one to break 'em? I'll raise a Knob Creek/Wild Turkey/Buffalo Trace/Colonel Lee/Old Pogue/Rebel Yell/Fighting Cock to that, goddamn!