photo courtesy of Satch Kerans
EP Review of Satch Kerans Band: Gotta Be Better (Five Short Stories)
Now this is rock and roll! Catchy, full of hooks, a little garagey at times, mixing in some blues influenced from time to time, as well as classic, punk, and mainstream rock threads. The Satch Kerans Band brings some cool rock ‘n roll variety on Gotta Be Better, wrapped up in a cohesive, trademark sound. It’s an engaging sound, one that earned the band a Rock Act of the Year nomination from the New England Music Awards this year.
The band members on this record are Satch Kerans (vocals, guitar), George Hall (lead guitar, backup vocals), Jamie Griffith (bass), Roger Brockelbank (drums), and Brad Hallen (bass on “Those Lies”).
The first of the EP’s five songs, the title track “Gotta Get Better,” kicks off with a grainy, catchy guitar riff, an auspicious start. And the song doesn’t disappoint. You almost wonder if it’s gonna go rockabilly early on, but then the vocals kick in, and it’s broad-appeal yet a little raw. There’s a recurring guitar twang and vocal cadence from time to time that remind me of Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do,” but not exactly. More like the timeless rock ‘n roll Crow’s song reminds me of, more old-fashioned rock ‘n roll than anything specific. From a pure catchiness perspective, this is my favorite song on the record. But not by much, as there’s no weak link among the quintet of songs.
image courtesy of Satch Kerans
Track two, “Do Ya,” leans into jangly guitar and a steadily progressive pace, but the guitarwork adds just enough of a hook to hold your attention. If there’s a band this recalls for me, it’s classic rockers The Doughboys, who I reviewed here at the blog a few years ago. I also dig the reference to Willie Nile, a New York icon I reviewed just last year, though “Do Ya” references his hairstyle, not his music.
While “Gotta Be Better” is probably my favorite song on this EP from a purely musical standpoint, “Helen of Troy (NY)” is probably my favorite song overall, music and lyrics combined. In its case, “Helen of Troy (NY)” features lyrics as clever as the guitar line that meanders among them.
Penultimate track “Those Lies” is a straightforward, hooky garage rocker. After it, the EP is closed by “Wearing His Pain,” a hoarsely sung, more matter-of-fact than pleading rocker, its straightforward modest-tempo rock approach – what you might expect from a lyric-driven folk rock number – supplemented by harmony vocals and a guitar riff following the chorus that almost sound like its crying, in line with the lyrics.
It’s a nifty five-song collection, a great introduction to a versatile old-school rock band, the engaging Satch Kerans Band.
Looking Ahead
Boston-area rock fans can catch the Satch Kerans Band next week – and this is definitely a band whose sound will translate well to a live performance! – at the Square Root in Roslindale on November 19th.
