Whilst I am not hugely familiar with the band's more recent work, Strike Up the Band feels exactly like what I expected Little Feat to sound like in 2025. The album feels cleaner than those classic albums, but the band's trademark swampy grooves, slide guitar, horn embellishments, and laid back vibe is very much present - with the current line-up a good mix of long-standing experienced heads and newer blood. The opening number, 4 Days of Heaven 3 Days of Work, showcases all of those facets clearly from the off - with a Leone drum break giving way to a shuffling guitar/Hammond organ riff which is soon augmented by some horns and guitar leads. Like much of Little Feat's material, the song swings along at a mid-pace, with Sharrard singing against a toned down version of the opening riff - with occasional slide guitar melodies and horn bursts adding colour. The band have often used vocal harmonies to their advantage, and the bluesy choral approach to the chorus helps to elevate it - making the simple chorus the first big hook here. Little Feat's songs are not always hook-fests, and the band's material tends to sink in over repeated listens thanks to the grooves, guitar firepower, and subtle vocal melodies. This song is no different, but the chorus does jump out from a hook perspective - and Sharrard really makes his presence felt later in the song with an explosive slide guitar workout. Those who love the trademark shuffle and groove of Little Feat will immediately feel at home here - and the prominent use of a horn section gives the track some class. Bayou Mama, which was co-written by Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke), sees Payne take the lead vocally. Payne's piano creates a rhythm which the rest of the song is built from - although the locked-in grooves of Leone and long-time percussionist Sam Clayton build on these piano melodies, whilst bluesy slide licks and a prominent bassline also do a lot of heavy lifting. Payne's voice may not be as strong as it once was, but he still sounds good throughout this album - and his keyboard playing remains excellent. Occasional organ moments are utilised here, too, but generally his boogie piano playing is what makes the song tick - even if the slide guitar likely shines the brightest thanks to a solo late on in the piece. There is also a piano workout as the song comes to a close, though, showcasing Payne's trademark barroom style. Shipwrecks returns the spotlight to Sharrard, and the piece is more of a typical southern rock-sounding track. There is less of an obvious groove here, with a more typical driving rock beat, tinges of country, and a fuller backing thanks to plenty of organ and the riffing of Tackett. Sharrard has a great voice for this kind of music, and his vocal performance throughout this album is one of its overall highlights. There is a smoothness to his voice which I like, but he still suits the band's bluesy, swampy feel - and his slide guitar playing is excellent, some more of which is thrown in later on following the song's second, laid back chorus.
Midnight Flight returns to the band's trademark groovy sound, but the pace feels a little speedier than is typical - which is helped by another prominent use of the horn section. The chorus is based around some Cajun-esque rhythms, which is not unusual for Little Feat, and filled out with some bluesy backing vocals from Kristen Rogers who embellishes Sharrard's lead vocals. The grooves of the song really make the best use of Clayton, whose percussion helps things really pop - filling in all the gaps in Leone's funky beat. Long-time bassist Kenny Gradney makes his presence felt, too, with some equally funky bass playing - with the horn section elevating the Cajun grooves with some melodies which recall that musical style. More traditional lead guitar moments and soloing are employed here - presumably allowing Tackett some time in the spotlight. Another more upbeat, and fun, tune is Too High to Cut My Hair. The horn section is utilised again here, with lots of big melodies during the intro, whilst the rest of the song is generally lacking in big riffs and musical moments until the ending instrumental workout - with the groove and simple chord progression enough to back the snappy vocal melodies from Sharrard. The chorus feels a bit more involved, with the horns coming back in and more of an atmospheric approach taken during part of it - with smooth backing vocals adding depth before the band crash back in proper and Clayton briefly takes over vocally with his trademark deep, growling voice. Slide and regular guitar leads later on see Sharrard and Tackett trading melodies back and forth - and the solo section is one of the album's most blistering overall, with a particularly fast-paced section seeing Leone unleashing a big fill behind it. There is also a saxophone solo from horn section member Art Edmaiston to close things out. Following Sharrard dominating vocally up to this point, the more laid back When Hearts Fall sees Payne singing once again - and the smooth track feels like a real throw back to the band's early days. Rogers again adds some bluesy harmonies during the chorus, but this song generally shows the more atmospheric and low key side of Little Feat. The drums provide a sombre beat throughout, whilst gentle guitar melodies and the occasional aching slide lead sit behind Payne's plaintive vocals. Payne's voice really suits songs like this, and he brings it to life nicely - with Rogers adding colour when needed. Subtle keyboard flourishes are utilised throughout, too, but this is not really much of a keyboard-heavy song despite the overall atmospheric feel - with the slide melodies and drumming feeling like the main touchstones here. The title track then sees Sharrard taking over again vocally - although the Lovell sisters from Larkin Poe also contribute significantly to the song in that regard. Their atmospheric vocal harmonies are all over the track, from the opening moments, and they suit the shuffling country grooves of the rootsy piece - with Tackett's mandolin often a prominent instrument. Melodic piano playing, including a solo mid-way through, and low-fi drumming give the song a suitably down-home feel - with slide acoustic guitar also thrown in as the song progresses to further emphasise such an approach.
Bluegrass Pines, sung by Payne, returns somewhat to that Cajun feeling described earlier - but this track is slower and swampier overall. Shuffling and percussive drumming alongside what sounds like accordion (although no one is credited with playing accordion so it could be keyboards) create some of the memorable musical moments during the piece - whilst additional acoustic guitar depth throughout is added by bluegrass singer Molly Tuttle. The band's trademark slide guitar approach returns here and there is a lot of Sharrard's slide playing during parts of the song - with the chorus in particular feeling pretty enhanced by the slide guitar. The busy acoustic guitar melodies and occasional piano flourishes help the song to create its own identity, though, and it is one that has grown on me since first hearing it. Disappearing Ink is another more southern rock-esque piece - with more of a brash guitar rhythm backing parts of the song alongside a more hard rock drum beat despite the song still feeling pretty smooth overall. Rogers again adds her bluesy voice to the song, bulking out the chorus nicely, with Sharrard again showcasing his ability to sing the blues pretty convincingly. Bigger, traditional guitar rhythms form the basis of this track, but Payne's driving piano playing is also present throughout - with Sharrard again laying down another strong slide solo later on. Some of the songs here are more lengthy and loose in the arrangement, but this track is more straight ahead in terms of such - making it more of a fun, bluesy rocker. Love and Life (Never Fear) is a really smooth piece, with Clayton's percussion once again really shining here - and the opening slide guitar melodies are sweeter and less bluesy than is typical for the band. Sung by Tackett, the song reminds me somewhat of the overall sound of 1977's Time Loves a Hero - with its smoother, yacht rock sound on display. Tackett's voice is nicely suited to this sort of sound - and he also makes his presence further felt with some delicate guitar leads during parts of the song. Despite this smoother sound, though, there is still a lot going on. Payne's keyboard playing does a lot to create those yacht-esque grooves, with big piano notes often acting as a counter to the rhythm section, whilst the conga playing of Clayton perfectly builds on Leone's drumming. As the song progresses, too, the band get more intense in their instrumental performances - with Tackett launching into a big solo towards the end, whilst a somewhat psychedelic closing section features lots of piano. Dance a Little returns to Payne, with the track feeling somewhat upbeat and groovy despite his slightly restrained vocal performance. Rogers again adds some vocal power, with the chorus feeling quite big thanks to her efforts, whilst the track in general has plenty of depth thanks to everything that is going on. Pulsing keyboard melodies, plenty of acoustic guitar, and Tackett's trumpet playing all fill out the song nicely. There is no big horn section this time, but the lone trumpet melodies often work well on their own given the overall vibe of the piece - whilst Clayton's busy percussion can also be heard prominently during the song's chorus. It is one of those songs which really worms its way in after a few listens thanks to its plentiful grooves and intricate vibe.
Running Out of Time with the Blues, featuring Leone on vocals, is, as its title suggests, a blues piece. There is nothing especially original about it, but the raw, groovy blues piece is enjoyable - as nothing else on the album has really felt like this. There are no massive electric guitar riffs here, with the riffing being low key and unplugged in nature - with acoustic slide guitar adding lots of melodies here around Leone's vocals and low-fi drumming, whilst Payne adds some more barroom piano. The instrumental mid-section which moves back and forth between the slide guitar and the piano feels like a raw jam - and the whole song feels like one which came together quickly and organically. It is a fun addition to the album in that regard - and its short nature means that it does not outstay its welcome. The album then comes to a close with New Orleans Cries When She Sings - a somewhat more epic-sounding piece which moves through some different moods despite it not being especially long. Opening with Payne's Elton John-esque piano playing and vocals, the first minute or so is quite low key, and it seems as if the song is going to be a big ballad - but following this opening section the rest of the band crash in and the track morphs into another pretty funky rocker. More Cajun melodies are featured here, with the horn section providing plenty of accents and punctuation throughout, although Payne's driving piano remains the main musical focus throughout. Rogers again adds plenty of vocal backing here, throwing in some gospel-esque call-and-response vocals and ad-libs at times - whilst the hooky chorus sounds big thanks to her and Payne singing together. Payne's vocals sound a bit stronger here and that helps the song to be one of my favourites of his offerings here. It helps that he includes a piano solo part way through - although the horn section soon take over to provide more of a band-focused instrumental section. There is very little focus on the guitars here, with them generally relegated to the background, but the band's usual vibe is very much present - and the song closes out by returning to the slow manner in which it opened, which bookends things nicely to provide a tight coda. Whilst I cannot compare Strike Up the Band to any of the band's other more recent work, I have found a lot to like here. Sharrard really seems to have found a home in Little Feat and his performances throughout are a big part of what makes the album so enjoyable. Those classic Little Feat grooves are present throughout and the album channels a lot of what has always made the band great and unique despite all the line-up changes over the years. I hope that this album is a success for the band and that it leads to a bit of a late career resurgence - as I would like to hear more from his current line-up.
The album was released on 9th May 2025 via Hot Tomato Productions. Below is the band's promotional video for Too High to Cut My Hair.
No comments:
Post a Comment