Search - Cowboy Mouth :: Easy

'Easy' is easily the best Cowboy Mouth album since 1994

mamlin | Austin, TX United States | 12/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 2000 Cowboy Mouth released 'Easy', a collection of mostly new songs recorded with the best studio production values yet for a Cowboy Mouth album. If you are unfamiliar with Cowboy Mouth, the band can best be described as "hard folk-rock" with touches of Cajun and Irish influences. Sound unique? This band is. I've been going to their concerts for 10 years (they constantly tour throughout the US and Canada) and still can't describe their sound. Their biggest radio-play song so far is "Jenny Says" from the 1996 album `Are You With Me?'.Every song on `Easy' is "good" at minimum with most of the tracks falling somewhere between "very good" to "great". "Easy", "Everything You Do", "Marianne" and "Run to Me" are great, radio-friendly tracks from Fred LeBlanc (lead singer, drummer) that should appeal to those unfamiliar with the band. The most expansive track is "Always Leaving", a somewhat uncharacteristic style for the band but one of the top tracks on the album nonetheless. "Always Leaving" is a cover of the first track of singer/songwriter Brian Seymour's album, "When I Was Blonde" (the CM version is better). The most historically-notable track is "China", a remake of the 1983 hit from the "Red Rockers". The former lead singer of "Red Rockers" is John Thomas Griffith, now one of the four core members of Cowboy Mouth. The newest "catchy" tune from CM is "Everybody Loves Jill", a song where the crowd throws red plastic spoons at the band when the band sings the words (what else?) "red spoon". Finally, we get yet another remake of "How Do You Tell Someone" - arguably the band's most "catchy" song but a song that never seems to quite make its big breakthrough to radio playlists.Cowboy Mouth's previous best album was 1994's "It Means Escape" (re-released on CD in 2000). 'Escape' is still the better album to convey the "live" sound of the band but 'Easy' is the first album with a radio-friendly sound from start-to-finish that reaches out to those not fortunate enough to see the band live. Post-`Escape' albums include `Are You With Me' and `Word of Mouth' which are both good and sound, predictably enough, like a mixture of `Easy' and `Escape'.I have a long-standing opinion that Cowboy Mouth can not be fully appreciated until the band has been experienced in a live setting - Fred LeBlanc's energy is infectious (indeed - Fred simply does not allow the crowd to be passive and makes a point of getting everyone into the spirit of the performance). If you can't see the band live, I believe "Easy" is the -best- introduction a new listener can have and the album is possibly the best effort yet from this experienced, hard-working group."

Excellent

Brett T. Barrouquere | Louisville, Ky. United States | 04/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Easy" is an excellent CD by Cowboy Mouth. Aside from the group's two live CDs ("Mouthin Off" and "All you need is live"), "Easy" comes closest to capturing the manic enegery that makes a Cowboy Mouth show a unique experience. If you haven't heard them before, this cd is a great introduction. The title track along with "I Know it shows" gives an idea about just how powerful CM can be. Other tunes, such as "Run to me" and "marianne" show the group's versatility. This is an excellent buy for someone looking to discover a great group."

Excellent

Gumbeaux13 | New Orleans, LA United States | 07/24/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A bit of a departure from their traditional sound and a over-produced, but still kicks butt in my book. Loosen up the radio-friendly sound and it's easily five stars, but nonetheless an inspired and thouroughly enjoyable effort from the one and only 'Mouth.'"