To quote the Rolling Stones, “It’s only rock and roll, but I
like it.”
The third album from Columbus, Ohio’s The Big Creak isn’t going
to solve any world problems, cause you to have wild emotional
catharses, or enable personal enlightenment. That said, that’s
about the only complaint I can come up with for
Just Left Town; what we have here is a great piece of
straight-ahead rock and roll with just enough smarts to keep the
left brain busy while the right brain rocks out.
The Big Creak has been around for a while; a good seven or eight
years of experience playing together has resulted in a tight outfit
whose sound is professional, uncluttered, and precise. Even when
these guys are kicking out the jams, they kick them out properly,
and I can appreciate that. Combine this with stellar musicianship
— from Aaron Bright on keys, Keith Maxwell Button on drums, Paul
Graves on bass, and especially Jim Koch, vocalist, guitarist and
principal songwriter — and what you have is a damn fine rock and
roll band.
There’s a lot of good to be said about
Just Left Town. “Love On Hold” is a brilliant piece of
wordplay about a guy who just keeps giving a lady one more chance.
“Derailed” is simply lovely; the kind of melody that sinks into
your head and takes up residence permanently. “Wendy” is
just…well…funny. There are a couple of minor miscues —
“Corporate Superstar” is overly simplistic, with a couple of lyrics
that make me wince — but on the whole The Big Creak is right on
target.
I don’t know about you, but in the summer I tend to eschew
cerebral music for something more appropriate for driving with the
windows down. The Big Creak’s
Just Left Town fits the bill in spades, and comes heartily
recommended.
