Cooper Brothers Southbound
Solid, strong, superb As this is being written,
Southbound is the number one album in Ottawa and the surrounding area − that is, Bounder country! From the opening title ode
to the tour de force that closes it, Southbound is full of great songs, heartfelt singing and excellent musicianship. The song writing is diverse but always strong. Decades making music together guarantees memorable, well-crafted songs across the whole album. The title track kicks it off
nicely, rollicking along with some jaunty fiddle accompaniment and background vocals complimenting the desire to escape old man winter:
I live in paradise Most of the time, ‘cept when that winter wind howls… Find me a seat sale, Max out my cards, Ain’t coming home til I’m suitably brown, Yeah − I’m heading southbound.
“Last Time I Saw Georgia” is
cleverly disguised as a lament for a lost lover, but really it’s a sly dig at their old record company label – Capricorn Records – a Macon, Georgia-based outfit that left the boys in a lurch, effectively ending phase one of their music careers. At least that’s my take on it, based on a refrain like this:
I was not lied to But I might have been misled By a thing or two I thought I heard was said.
Strong background vocals and
doo-wop-styled sighs from Ornella Kennedy highlight “Waiting for the Hammer to Fall” with the underlying theme of love lost and weariness. It’s
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MUSIC REVIEW BILL MACPHERSON
found and presented differently in “Bridges”; likewise in “Love’s Been A Stranger” – here with gorgeous strings and interloping vocals from Kellylee Evans. “Bordertown” conjures Bonnie
and Clyde. The song encapsulates small town boredom and the need to be free at whatever the cost. “Five Point Five”, describing an
earthquake − vocals by Jeff Rodgers − is poppy and a bit formulaic. “Club Shangri-la” is pure fantasy, all about finding that one special juke joint. A great guitar solo by guest Cory Bradwell lights it up, highlighting a bang-on description of the idyllic musician’s club. “Havana Nights” is sung from the heart – the lads have obviously spent some time in the old city – but it’s a tad sappy and probably the weakest track on the album for me.
Not to worry, though. “What I
Leave Behind”, about the plight of the victims of the great 1840s Irish famine, stands head and shoulders above the many other fine songs on an excellent album. Dick takes his only vocal lead, but damn, this is one powerful song! Richard Cooper writes and sings from the soul and heart here − moving, powerful and full of painful history. “What I Leave Behind” is the
exclamation point on a stellar album from the brothers Cooper, their fine band and various guests. Get it now.
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