Sad Daddy – Ozark Shine
Some city folk might find this corny, campy & too rural, but hey, listen to the words, listen to the picking, & the sincerity in their voices. This doesn’t need a tuxedo, this is the real thing, boots with no laces & tongues sticking out. It’s clever, humorous, & quite American. This band comes from the Ozark hills & must be doing something right, it’s their 4th album. It features original songs, harmony vocals, & a babbling brook of instruments. Yes, the music is jug band, old-fashioned country, old-time accompaniment (mouth harp), & it essentially gives off good vibes.
13 songs drip from the spout on Ozark Shine (Drops June 26/Independent/45:30) with “Bootlegger,” “Let’s Go Fishin’,” & “Did We Turn Off the Stove?” (There’s a song that should be played every time the SUV with the family pulls out of the garage). Wonderful singing & playing throughout & produced in Nashville, TN by Drew Carroll. Each song is a daily topic of simplicity rolled up into a ditty that will stick in your mind like a child’s song, & it’s sugared up with kazoos & fiddles to make that foot tap in time, even if you have no rhythm.
“Milk & Bread” has floated around my head for hours. But isn’t that what good music is about anyway? I don’t know which female singer does “Don’t You Take My Dollar Bill,” because there are 2 female singers — but on this tune, the vocalist sounds like a young Dolly Parton & she’s energetic, enthusiastic & has a big…heart.
The voices can sound like put-ons at times, but they’re not George Strait, Johnny Cash, or George Jones. They’re backwoods artists with good voices, seasoned by moonshine, & if not hooch then some barbecue, fried food, & corn fritters. If you listen carefully, their singing is cleverly conceived. I love the silliness of “I’ll Come Running,” which is sung with varied voices, some doo-wop, country spam, & the lead vocalist is inventive. The type of tune the English band Stackridge would’ve done (“The Volunteer,” “Happy In the Lord”), or Charlie Gearhart’s Goose Creek Symphony with their intricate country arrangements.
There’s a touch of the legendary Minnie Pearl in “Frazzie,” a country ballad with funny lyrics but impeccable singing. The band is relatively young, so I’m really impressed with their ability to absorb so much of the sawdust musical past & be so…eloquent & entertaining.
Highlights – “Bootlegger,” “Let’s Go Fishin’,” “Did We Turn Off the Stove?” “Milk & Bread,” “Don’t You Take My Dollar Bill,” “I’ll Come Running,” “Frazzie,” & “Down In a Hole.”
Musicians – Melissa Carper (vocals/upright bass), Rebecca Patek (vocals/fiddle), Brian Martin (vocals/guitar/mouth horn/pan flute/kazoo), John Sundell (vocals/banjo/harmonica), Chris Gelb (drums/percussion), & Casey Campbell (mandolin).
Color image courtesy of the band’s website. CD @ Bandcamp & https://www.saddaddyband.com/