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The Cadillac Three – Country Fuzz

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The Cadillac Three - Country Fuzz

The Cadillac Three - Country Fuzz
4.4

Rating

 4.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • The Cadillac Three are just fun
  • Within the band's sound, the album shows quite some variety
  • Very wise composition of songs (short, but intense)

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Too many drinking songs?
  • A few weaker songs

The Cadillac Three are quite popular in Europe as well as in the USA. Not too surprising, the Nashville trio just cannot be missed on any country music party. If you want to drink and dance, you have to give them a try. This review features their 2020 Country Fuzz, released on 7th February.

The Cadillac Three – About The Artists

The Cadillac Three (former: The Cadillac Black) is a Nashville based country rock trio. Jaren Johnston, Neil Mason and Kelby Ray also played together in the band American Bang, which had a quite famous hit in 2010, Wild and Young. The song has been used for some wrestling country shows. In parallel to the band work, Johnston was very successful in song writing: You Gonna Fly by Keith Urban or Jake Owen’s Days of Gold have been written by the band member. The group’s debut album has been issued in 2012, but there was a re-issuing in 2013 due to a new record deal with Big Machine. Their 2013 song The South already illustrates their high musical reputation – the song features – among others – the voice of Dierks Bentey. The band’s secomd album, Bury Me In My Boots, was already quite successful and climbed up to the fifth spot in the US country charts. 2017, the band released Legacy, which was (by chart placement) nearly as popular in the US than in the UK. Country Fuzz is the band’s fourth studio album.

 

The Cadillac Three – Country Fuzz – Track By Track

The 16 songs take some 47 minutes.

1. Bar Round Here

The album starts kind of slow and with classic sounds. Okay, it starts for at most 30 seconds before we head into the world of The Cadillac Three.

But is there a bar ’round here?
With a jukebox, neon pull-string sign
That says “Ice-Cold Beer”?
Is there a wet-your-whistle, tie-one-on honky tonk near?
Well, I know it’s noon, but I’m feeling 5 o’clock weird
So is there a bar ’round here?

I not too rarely criticize that too many country songs are about girls, cars and alcohol. I guess, I will get used to that for the next 47 minutes. At least I feel that the guys really do these kind of topic good!

2. The Jam

The Jam is very speedy and rhythmic. You need to have quick feet if you want to dance to this ones, but you will definitely have a good mood when you just enjoy it.

3. Hard Out Here For A Country Boy (feat. Christ Janson and Travis Tritt)

Chris Janson, Travis Tritt and The Cadillac Three – sounds like a lot of party. Yeah, it is a lot of party. No song about global warming or complex topics, just a country dance:

Well, it’s hard out here for a country boy
Chugging that cold beer, loving that hot girl
Living that slow life in a real fast world
Gonna be a long day, but I’ll get through it
It’s a hell of a job, but somebody gotta do it
It’s hard out here for a country boy

4. Slow Rollin’

The electric guitars are done a bit harder on this track. Slow Rollin’ has a lot of power.

5. All The Makin’s Of A Saturday Night

You can do a good country song in 113 seconds – this one is the musical proof. Very fast lyrics, sometimes they even feel like rap. Love that one (and it even has a short guitar interlude…).

6. Crackin’ Cold Ones With The Boys

If you are ever asked if for a characteric song for this band – just take Crackin’ Cold Ones With The Boys. Yes, I am not too much fan of these kind of songs – but if they are written and produced like The Cadillac Three do… You just have to love it!

7. Labels

Labels is a very special song on the album, as it creates a very unique sound. Electric sounding backgrounds, not too much of this steel guitar / guitar driven music you typically have on the album.

8. Raise Hell

Raise Hell is one of seven tracks on Country Fuzz, which are shorter than three minutes (on the other song, no track is longer than four minutes…). Also by that, The Cadillac Three create a lot of speed and change in the album, you don’t get bored. The sound of Raise Hell is rather recitative in the vocals. Interesting – and good to listen to.

9. Back Home

Back Home  has a lot of power and a lot of guitars – and in the world of this bands, this means: a lot of fun. Good track.

10. Dirt Road Nights

And we can trash that beer, hit that door
Stop at the quick stop, buy some more
Let it ride with some back seat lean
Hit the gas on the time machine
We can ride down it, dance on it
Turnin’ up some outlaw country on it
Do you miss ’em girl, like I miss ’em girl?
Now let’s go back and get ’em girl
Them dirt road nights

A comparably slow track. To me, Dirt Road Nights is one of the highlights of the album, also because it creates a very special atmosphere.  Well done!

11. Blue El Camino

Similar to All the Makin’s of A Saturday Night, this song is fast, rhythmic, short – and good. A lot of good drum play in there as well.

12. Jack Daniels’ Heart

Talking about the duration of songs, this is the longest track on the album – and honestly, it feels slightly too long to me. The band is better in the crisp ones.

13. Why Ya Gotta Go Out Like That

Why Ya Gotta Go Out Like That is another great song, especially for airplay – but I can also imagine it will be great on stage. The Cadillac Three are just creating a good mood.

14. Heat

Very nice, swaying, rhythmic song. Like it!

15. Whiskey And Smoke

At some points, Whiskey And Smoke is that intense, it feels like a metal track. Overall, it is one of the weakest tracks of the album to me – but it adds some flavor For my Weed Smokers and Whiskey Drinkers.

16. Long After Last Call

After so many powerful and strong songs, this finale feels a bit too defensive, weak to me. Not a bad song at all, but hides a bit on the album compared to the other recordings.

 

The Cadillac Three – Country Fuzz – Spotify

You might be sharing a party when you listen to these songs!

The Cadillac Three – Country Fuzz – My View

Country Music can be so versatile, it can be thoughtful and melancholic, it can be classic line-dancing or close to partying and headbanging. I love the wide range of the genre. The Cadillac Three mix classic tunes with a lot of guitars and party. They will be great on the C2C stages in March, I am sure. Country Fizz is a great proof that this band is a lot of fun! Top Pick!

 

Flyctory.com Country Music Reviews

Here are reviews of all country music albums and EPs I reviewed earlier on the website: