Cue “Colorado,” an all out celebration of funk and rock, and more importantly, the first track on Jeconte’s 2009 album, Sweet Northern California. The perfect showcasing of the band’s rock/funk style, “Colorado” is the most upbeat song on the album. But don’t let that mislead you into thinking that’s where you should stop listening; while for the most part the rest of the album tones it down a couple notches, providing a slowed down exhibition of the Jeconte’s more soulful, blues side, the lyrics and instrumental talent not only maintain their original impressiveness, but also progressively become more unique and enjoyable.
The greatest thing about this album is that you can turn on any track and hear a completely different influence or sound in each song. While “Downtown Brown” provides the listener with a return to soulful blues, one could seriously mistake “Where to Go” as a track off of one of Bruce Springsteen’s albums. All in all, the band can best be understood as the voice of Bruce, the soul of Ray Charles, and the musical stylings of Blues Traveler all in one. While on the topic of Blues Traveler, one cannot help but mention the similarly impressive harmonica playing of Jeconte. The unique Texas Blues/ Jazz/ Funk harmonica style stands out on almost every song on the album, though I found that “Get it While You Can” allowed me to truly appreciate the talent and versatility that Jeconte’s playing exhibits.
Having already rocked New Orleans during Jazz Fest 2010, among other festivals and concerts, Jeconte seems to be making its way onto the jam band music scene with a unique sound that people have been waiting for. While I am still undecided on whether or not the album provides enough jam band, take- your- shoes- off and dance in the grass music, the range of tracks from upbeat to slow and soulful to somewhere in the middle certainly speaks to the versatility of the band and the diversity of the songs on this album. So while the future hopefully brings more dance- worthy tracks, one thing is for sure: with this album, “I’m here sittin’ on the porch lettin’ the world go by.” And there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.
Key Tracks: Colorado, Get it While You Can, Where to Go
Michelle Caley – MuzikReviews.com Contributor
July 1, 2010
