What kind of devoted fan of classic late ’60s / early ’70s guitar rock is Sadler Vaden? The kind who manages to cajole his (presumably similarly inclined) spouse into agreeing to name their firstborn after Pete Townshend.
It’s a fitting footnote to the album that Vaden—best known as the ace guitarist/harmony vocalist in Jason Isbell’s crack band The 400 Unit—sprang on the world recently. Surprise-released on Father’s Day 2024, Dad Rock is a deeply affectionate homage to and pastiche of Vaden’s favorite musical era and sound: big, bold, crunchy guitars playing riffs that you may find yourself humming in the shower days later.
Dad Rock somewhat inevitably kicks off with a track Vaden wrote for his son Townsend (they dropped the silent “h”). “Townsend’s Theme”—Vaden’s first recorded instrumental—is a lilting, slightly dreamy number with a gorgeous repeating melody, that around 2:20 morphs into a heavier, bluesier variation, riding a sweet groove through the midsection before reprising the opening theme. The light fuzz and distortion he puts on his mid-song solo is so 1974 that I had to check if my jeans had spontaneously flared.
“Dove” follows with another shapeshifting arrangement. After opening in a grinding blues groove, Vaden floors it around 1:20 into a headlong jam that reminds me a bit of The Tom Collins [link], that greasy, giddy, Zeppelin-adjacent feel. Another wonderfully fuzzy and crunchy guitar solo follows. After that emphatic statement—complete with urgent vocals—Vaden settles back for “The New You,” a wistful number about an evolving partner and relationship that spotlights guest Benmont Tench on piano.
The fat guitar tone returns in force as a cover of The Whigs’ “Staying Alive” spotlights a riff that sounds like it was lifted off at James Gang album circa 1971—and brother, that is a compliment. Vaden has a blast covering his Southern compadres’ tune, filling it with chunky, joyous thunder. That vital bounce and playfulness carries through “Holes” and right into “The Rescuer,” where Vaden deploys the entire arsenal, pairing his pleasantly crunchy guitars with guest Tench’s resonant organ and a fat horn section on a track that’s full of that classic Memphis roadhouse drive.
The poignant “I’ll Always Come Back” is Vaden talking directly to his kids, assuring them that however many times he heads out on tour, he’ll always be there for them. It’s a track that also highlights producer Vaden’s arranging skills, as he transitions through three distinctly different guitar tones in the course of a four-minute song, keeping it fresh and adding texture and interest. The solo is pitch-perfect, wistful and full of longing, displaying a skill Vaden has mastered while working with Isbell: crafting a solo to match and even amplify the emotional vibe of the song.
Like “Holes” before it, the lasting impression left by closer “Two Ballons” is of lovely, pealing guitars, smartly arranged and played on a song about perseverance, with Elliot Easton of The Cars guesting. As is the case on the majority of this album, the lyrics and vocals are solid enough but never feel like the focal point; for the most part this album is about embracing and embellishing a particular, distinctive sound.
For a listener of my particular vintage and taste, rich, bold classic rock guitar tone heard on Dad Rock—a little crunchy and a lot playful—is the sound of youth and joy, and hearing it played with genuine passion by someone a generation younger than me feels like a celebration of a heritage worth passing along. From one dad to another: thanks, Sadler.
