Cedar County Cobras – Sinners & Saints
At first, this struck me as something that came from the same dispensary as bands like Pure Prairie League & The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, but this group…this group has a magical style in their vocals & arrangements. It’s country rock, but it’s brewed in a still that has far more potency.
Vocally on “Motorbike” there’s a bit of the blooze-attitude of Gus (Papas) from his 1980 LP “Convicted” & the track (“Cell Doors Slammin’”). These songs have lots of mood, atmosphere, & darkness despite the Country indulgence. Haunting Dave Moore harmonica lays down a steamy gossamer beside the punctuating lead guitar notes. Even deeper in the groove is “Bessie Smith’s Last Ride,” honking Heath Alan sax & a Tom Waits growly vocal style possesses the narrative that provides the fangs of the arrangement. The melody line actually follows the same route as 1971’s Harry Nilsson tune “Coconut.” Tom Spielbauer’s vocals border on the style that’s deeply inflected in this Cedar County Cobras reinvention.
There are 10 Sinners & Saints (Drops Sept 4/Overton Music/34:40) to this project produced by the duo of Tom & April & recorded in Des Moines, IA. It’s a hodgepodge of fine tracks that have dominant vocals & tight arrangements applied to their assortment of Delta blues, early country, folk traditions, & rural Americana with musicians who have succeeded in creating a quietly original sound. Inhale their draughts of melody deeply. I like this aggregation. There’s a bounty of originality in their fingers & voices. They’ll even take a song done to death in various stages like Don Redman’s (aka Joe Primrose) “St. James Infirmary,” brought to fame originally by Louis Armstrong’s 1928 recording. This version has a slight Tom Waits tint, heavy organ, tinkling piano keys & bellowing sax – all inventively creative to keep the song fresh but not lose its vintage flavor.
Frontman Tom Spielbauer (acoustic, electric, lap steel & baritone guitars/banjo/foot drum) possesses the baritone voice close to the deep vocal projection of Crash Test Dummies’ Brad Roberts. Tom sings all tracks except one that’s tackled by April Dirks (mandolin/upright bass/hand drums with Seth Bihun). Dipping a slender finger into a more spiritual pond is “Get Right Church” with a little energetic chorale that gives it its gospel thrust. Well done.
Rockier is “Mind My Own Business,” which, along with the sax, is close to the methodology used by deep, aggressive vocalist Marc Campbell’s The Nails (“Darkness Grows Uncivilized”). This is a cohesive piece, steamy, with hot & heavy playing. Love it. Quite an ambitious & impressive album.
Highlights – “Matches & Gasoline,” “Motorbike,” “Bessie Smith’s Last Ride,” “St. James Infirmary,” “Get Right Church,” & “Mind My Own Business.”
Musicians – Bryan Vanderpool (drums/percussion/upright bass), Tanner Taylor (Hammond B-3/piano), Monica Faye & Krista Guillaume (harmonies).
Photography courtesy of Sandy Dyas. CD @ Amazon & https://cedarcountycobras.com/