That Handsome Devil

Album Review

Imagine the perfect variety show. They may not make them anymore, but you can try to be creative: fill it with comics, a great mix of eclectic guest bands, and a gregarious host that makes his scintillating guests feel at home, while with a wink at the audience, he gently shreds them to bits. That in a musical nutshell describes That Handsome Devil, as well as their eponymous EP. The quintet of musicians have obviously had professional training, and a wealth of experiences in a variety of other settings, for they bring to this set sounds from across the musical spectrum. Big-band swing, blues, surf, jazz — both traditional and modern — funk, R&B, hard rock, even a touch of reggae, not even Parliament Funkadelic were this far-ranging, but THD meld it all into a sound even more distinctive than Grandmaster Flash's. Even better, the arrangements are so creative and deft that the music never sounds eclectic just for the sake of it, it's not even showy, so subtle is the stitching linking the genres, so flawless the musicianship. That's reason enough to champion THD, but wait, you haven't met frontman Godforbid yet — a consummate performer, one of the best white blues singers around, and one heck of a lyricist.

Whether languorously consigning listeners to hell on "Standing Room in Heaven," helpfully and hilariously offering up "Dating Tips," recommending that angels carry guns while celebrating the end of the world on "Elephant Bones," showing life through the eyes of a derelict drunk on "Sleep It Off," or bemoaning inequality in "James Dean," Godforbid demands attention, and who could refuse? Like nothing you've ever heard before, THD is an entire musical revue in one small package, a fabulous night out's entertainment; you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll gasp in amazement at all they have to offer.