If evidence was ever needed that old punks don’t die, they transform into singer-songwriters with an itch to scratch, Jeff Caudill personifies this. Cutting his teeth fronting acclaimed US pop-punkers ‘Gameface’, his solo career sees him ease his foot off the pedal and kick-back without losing any impact or bite.
Caudill’s trump-card is his ability to craft instantly memorable songs that swing with an outrageously catchy hook. Combing this rare quality with a dash of great American acts like The Lemonheads and Jesse Malin, as well as adding a touch of Elvis Costello, this debut full length release is all the more rich and engaging for it. Although ‘Here’s What You Should Do’ is most definitely Caudill’s brainchild, that feeling of having a live band playing for you in your room owes a debt of gratitude to collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Robbie Rist.
Whether writing about his days in Gameface or from his personal experience, Caudill is always quick to deliver with an insightful comment or a playful quip. ‘Worn Out Welcome’ describes the indignity and difficulties that the constant touring forced upon the spirit as he discovers ‘you sounded great and you almost made enough to get paid tonight’, while ‘Stop Writing Songs’ reveals his true feelings on being a musician as he sings ‘I don’t need to write a hit, but I want someone to sing along with it.’ Caudill isn’t afraid to tackle the bigger issues that have had a profound impact on his life. The beautifully understated ‘Destination’ talks of his love for his native California while ‘Change Everything’ is a delicate acoustic ode to his young daughter.
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The only thing that stops ‘Here’s What You Should Do’ from being an out-and-out classic is that at 55 minutes long, a little more brevity would carry more impact. Some ruthless pruning would undoubtedly pare this down to a more focused set of songs. Although Caudill’s undoubted strength lies in his ability to create three-minute mini-masterpieces, this gets a little lost in translation on occasion. However, the upside of this is that he isn’t afraid to give record space to more experimental works like closing track, ‘I Just Disappear’, which with its drum loops and sparse instrumentation displays the influence of country-rockers turned avant-garde popsters, Wilco.
On ‘Here’s What You Should Do’, Jeff Caudill has continued to evolve musically to produce an album full of emotive music that has real heart. It’s his unique spin on combining power-pop, country and indie-rock that makes for such vibrant and exciting listening.
To hear samples and find out more information:
www.jeffcaudill.com
www.myspace.com/jeffcaudill
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