The debut of city of Utrecht’s Swamp Chicken was reviewed favourably in the Dutch domestic music press, but caused few waves after that.
That is also incomprehensible today, because what Dirk-Jan van der Hoeven – drums/vocals, Joris Reijn – bass/vocals, O.J. Strijbis – keyboards/vocals, Andre Stevens – slide guitar/guitar and Eric Kerns – vocal/acoustic guitar demonstrate in eleven songs mostly written by Kerns and Stevens, is impressive.
Their mix of blues, jazz, funk and bits of country and pop is inspired by the Band, the Black Crowes and especially by Little Feat, but original at the same time. Especially of the kind of the Feat and Swamp Chicken there are too few bands to call this music a genre.
In Swamp Chicken’s often complex, but grooving songs the five combine swinging riffs with instrumental virtuosity without losing sight of the melodies. On top of these quirky rhythms of Van der Hoeven, Reijn, Strijbis and Stevens the latter two play mean, swinging solos: Strijbis on Hammond and Stevens on slide. Guests such as itelligent percussionist Janco van der Kaaden, hornsmen Coen Kaldeway and Philip Staut and firey background singer Emily van Orsouw regularly cause extra layers in the clear production. Only three times does the group play ballads, but then American Kerns sings passionately and emotionally then too.
That this band, that was been active for eleven years now, found no recognition on the basis of this CD and hardly plays live as a result of that, is a disgrace. It is higly necessary that their second, planned for later in 2010, finally changes that.
***1/2