Like The Statesboro Revue, Crooks are a band from Texas who refuse to live inside the narrow lines of what is considered Texas music, or even Texas country music. Instead, they fuse a plethora of styles together to form a fluid representation of what you might consider Americana, or southern music, or roots – or even just what might come out of a modern day city of Austin. After all, the area features the best in all kinds of music, so being based there is bound to have an impact on your tendency to experiment.
The band, which consists of Josh Mazour (vocals, guitar), Anthony Ortiz Jr. (accordion, trumpet),Ryan Goebel (guitar, percussion), Joey McGill (upright bass), Doug Day (trumpet, percussion), and Joey Bybee (drums), released their third studio album ‘Wildfire’ on July 10, and have gradually been making quite a name for themselves. They made their debut at Americana Music Festival in Nashville last month, and Paste Magazine recently named them as one of their 8 Modern Day Country Outlaws, alongside the likes of Jamey Johnson, Whitey Morgan and Nikki Lane. American Songwriter, CMT and NPR Music have also been singing their praises and that’s not to mention all the acclaim they’ve been receiving in their home state of Texas.
So what’s the big deal? Many lay claim to crossing genre boundary lines like a false badge of honor they are unable to defend, but Crooks do really seem to have their finger in many pies. On their last album the band were introduced to conjunto music when accordion legend Flaco Jimenez joined them in the studio, and they liked the crossover so much that they invited an accordionist to join the group full time. The instrument makes its presence well-known throughout this record, lighting up ‘Fork In The Road’, ‘The Git Go’, and ‘New Mexico’ among others, and retaining its place on every track, however subtly. Along with the trumpet, it helps to really set Crooks’ sound apart from their contemporaries.
Another aspect that finds them miles outside the box is their incorporation of a spaghetti western style throughout, setting the tracks in a retro cinematic vein that is dark, dramatic, brooding and yet also effervescent in nature. There’s truly a classic desert home for these songs, and as such the epic storylines come to life in vivid imagery, especially in likes of ‘The Hunted’. Rock ‘n’ roll, blues, folk and country overlap with the aforementioned sonic palettes to create a collection of material that is cohesive and quintessentially original to Crooks, a likely reason for all their critical praise.
But even within their cohesive and fresh sound, there is scope for songs that are more traditional and conventional in their approach. Closer ‘Bar Lights’, for example, is a classic honky tonk ballad with even a little yodelling mixed in, while ‘Sad Sad Song’ incorporates an effortless soul groove against blues and country for a tribute to the greats of the latter genre and the value of sad songs.
The 11 tracks on this record are both familiar and new, an interpretation of a vast array of styles that on the surface of it should appear cluttered and confusing. Yet they manage to keep it all together, taking snippets from this place and that so that they’re never compared too closely to anyone else, all the while reminding us of the roots that we left behind in this search of evolution and progression. Everything can sound fresh and original if you have enough influences, and Crooks prove that they are facing firmly forward while picking their favorite bits and pieces from the past. Part of the art of making music is interpreting old styles in your own unique way, and this band have that down.
Listen for danceable tunes, big dust bowl singalongs, driving pace, catchy hooks and incredible musicianship – all with a touch of fun.
Originally posted here.
