Comeback Cadillac
Esperanza Plantantion Records
Release Date: July 8, 2008
Rating: 3.25 out of 5
Sounds like: Kings Of Leon, post-punk a la Mars Volta, a touch of ‘90s grunge, a lot of indie rock posturing
Jackson, MS, quintet The Weeks earn a heaping pile of obvious comparisons on their debut album Comeback Cadillac; repeat listens, however, reveal a deeper layer of rock understanding. The strutting indie-punk of “Teary-Eyed Woman” sounds shallow at first, but fiery guitars and melancholy vocal shouts add an injection of Southern authenticity. “Altar Girl” and “Buttons” provide the most obvious parallels between The Weeks’ lead singer Cyle Barnes and Kings Of Leon’s Caleb Followill, with Barnes perfectly cribbing Followill’s detached moan and howling hipster sneer. But the stark goth/grunge influences on “Hold It, Kid (Your Heart Just Skipped A Beat)” divulge a lineage that stretches back to Pearl Jam and Dispatch, while “Mississippi Rain” proves that not everyone can pull off Red Hot Chili Peppers-style funk rock. Bright spots like “Dog Days” make up for the few missteps, with piano flourishes and Barnes’ endearingly natural vocals standing out. Other highlights include the Modest Mouse by-way-of Social Distortion “Wishin’ My Week Away,” but the forced tenderness of “Sailor Song” and the exact Kings Of Leon replica “Ballad Of Tonto Higgins” close Comeback Cadillac on a bit of a weak note. Not the best debut ever, but The Weeks demonstrate that with a bit of influence-tweaking and a little more originality, promising material could follow.
Myspace: www.myspace.com/theweeks
Label: www.myspace.com/esperanzaplantation
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