Fred LeBlanc – One Man’s Trash – Digital Only EP
This is a 5-track digital-only solo EP, One Man’s Trash (Dropped Dec 26/Independent/17:00) by the New Orleans-based Cowboy Mouth lead singer/drummer Fred LeBlanc. This has the charm of a stripped-back, enthusiastic recording project. No big orchestras, outlandish guitar & drum solos, just thick acoustic guitar strumming & music that’s tight on the leash. Fred has a humorous vocal style reminiscent at times of the antiquated Holy Modal Rounders (“Boobs-a-Lot”). Fred has had 35 years of experience fronting Cowboy Mouth since 1990.
The EP was produced by Fred & on the opener “All American Man,” there’s even a bit of a doo-wop musical posturing (The Dovells’ “Bristol Stomp,” & the Students’ “Every Day of the Week”) circa early ‘60s pop tunes. It has that instantaneous, catchy pop hit sound that thrived pre-Beatles. Fred uses his deep, narrative Big Kahuna voice to insert humor that works as it always does in these types of songs. The end of the tune is loaded with that beach bum/clambake coda. It spells music for fun.
With “Land of a Thousand Girls” soaked in the red candy apple-sandy bare feet of Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, & Gidget-type beach movies. What keeps this rendition serious & not novelty-oriented is the wonderful Smithereens-oriented vocals mixed with The Blasters retro-ism. Fred does a great job on these nostalgic turns. The band is loose but never sloppy & they actually make the oldies sound worth revisiting.
I remember a little boy telling me at a party that his father played “Papa Oom Mow Mow” (The Rivingtons) & the boy said he liked the song. It made his ears happy. This is not Sha Na Na, despite the light touch humor of Mr. LeBlanc. The more serious songs do surface on “Worry” & “Broken Man Blues.” It shows Fred’s broad sweeping style. His vocals are quite good at this stage of his career; he has a good command of varied styles & doesn’t turn his material into novelty songs. That takes skill.
The sound of the album as the songs progress improves. It doesn’t sound homemade, juvenile, or thin — as the album artwork would suggest. By the finale, a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Moonlight Mile” finds Fred asserting himself brilliantly. Why do I say this? Because I never cared for this Rolling Stones song. But this interpretation by Mr. LeBlanc is wonderful. I guess to my ears I needed to hear the right timbre application…and his has marvelous zeal right up to its end with the jangly acoustic guitar & its vibrant arrangement. It has rock ‘n roll preservation embedded in it.
Highlights – “All American Man,” “Land of a Thousand Girls,” “Worry,” “Broken Man Blues” & “Moonlight Mile.”
Musicians – No info available.
Color image courtesy of the Cowboy Mouth Facebook photo gallery. CD @ Apple & Amazon + http://www.fredleblanc.com/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Cowboy Mouth “Cover Yo’ Azz’”
