Cross Canadian Ragweed - Soul Gravy [CD & DVD] (CD)

All Music Guide

Soul Gravy doesn't need to take a lot risks, recording with Cross Canadian Ragweed's stellar rep as a crack bar/touring band in mind and sticking close to their Southern rock and Texas singer/songwriter influences. Mike McClure is a sure hand behind the board Cody Canada's engaging regular guy delivery is never lacquered in studio syrup, and his electric guitar leads always crackle with life. The understated sonics of "Lonely Girl" are of a piece with "Sick and Tired," which features Lee Ann Womack on harmony vocals; both songs just seem like a loud band turning down its amps and switching over to the clean channel for a minute. Naturally, "Hammer Down" is that loud band, driven forward by a caretothewind story line and some ripping guitar work, as is the bottlesmashing racket of "Wanna Rock Roll," which CCR (?) wants you to know was written by Ray Wylie Hubbard. The little acoustic gem "Flowers" serves as a sort of set break, but it also features one of Canada's best couplets in the... line "You bring me up/I bring you down/I bring you flowers/It brings you around." Other standouts include the dobroflecked honky tonk of "Down," as well as a new, more powerfully recorded version of "Alabama," which unapologetically crosses Southern rock sensibilities with crunchy arena rock chording. Soul Gravy isn't much for pacing, but the songwriting and playing is uniformly solid, whether the boys are pulling at your heart strings ("Pay") or riffing on Texas' musical traditions ("Cold Hearted Woman"; the bluestinged "Too Far Gone"). Overall it's a fun ride, both for longtime fans and the new ones Universal South's promotional push should make them. [Initial helpings of Gravy included a raucous DVD of a concert in College Station, TX.] - Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide Read more Less