Well, shave me bald and call me “Olsen” – it just dawned on me that I’ve never reviewed any of the kick-ass EP CDs my buddies in THE FENTONS have put out. Their latest, I’ve Seen It All Now, has got a typically solid handful of goodies on it and it’s about time I wrote about them.
A five-piece country band of the best kind, The Fentons are made up of brothers Dave and Jim Keller on guitars, mandolins and banjo, Steve “Blackie” Pearce on lap steel and electric guitar, Kent “Snake” Caldwell on bass and Chas Bronson IV on drums. I can’t say that this lineup pushes the envelope, at least arrangement-wise, but what these guys have is a love for the music that comes to them from years of playing all kinds of other kinds of music. In fact, three of the five – Jim, Dave and Chas – have played together in various combos for something like thirty years. Four of the five guys sing, and their harmonies recall the best of that Louvin/Everly Brothers archetype. So when they hit the chorus of “Party of 2,” for instance, they sound like they’ve been singin’ together on the front porch since they were all knee-high to a cricket… or 2.
Another great thing about I’ve Seen It All Now is the lyrics. Not sure which Fentons wrote what, but I can tell you that “There’s a Body” and “I’m the Devil” have some clever couplets going on. And “Dig a Hole,” what can I say about it? How about: I’ve been bugging them to record this son of a bitch since I first heard them do it almost two years ago. Not to put too fine a point on it, but if you want a song that tells you to get over your shit and move on, or else, then this is it. Brings a tear (or 2) to my eye every time. Their harmonies on that final chorus will do you in if you’ve got a heart and a soul.
I must say, here and now, that The Fentons are friends of mine, so this review is definitely colored by that. But, as an ethical rock critic, I also must say that every word here is true, and I wouldn’t review I’ve Seen It All Now if I didn’t like it. (Sometimes my passive/aggressive side ain’t such a bad thing!) You can get the download or buy the CD through the band at fentonstwang.com or at one of their shows – if the fools don’t forget to bring the merch tub!
3.5/5 (Flamingo Records, 2018)
NuDisc 