Now with new bassist, Johnny ‘Spaz’ Hatton in tow, The Brian Setzer Trio (as they are officially called despite the album being credited to Setzer alone) have unleashed their high-octane debut Nitro Burnin’ Funny Daddy. While there are some similarities to his past, The Brian Setzer Trio are not The Stray Cats Mark 3 but a group that reaches farther into the musical landscape of American popular music than the genre of ‘rockabilly’ could allow.
Like 2001’s Ignition, Nitro… is all over the stylistic map; from the raucous stomp of “Sixty Years” to the sweet doo-wop inspired balladry of “That Someone Just Ain’t You” to the spaghetti western styled theme of “Wild Wind”. “When The Bells Don’t Chime” is another high point; this country-inspired ditty is probably one the catchiest songs you will hear outside of the pop charts – I play this one over and over!
One pleasant surprise the album holds is that it contains four stunning ballads – more than what Setzer has offered on one album in years. It makes you wonder why since his velvety voice is so perfectly suited for crooning. The gorgeous “To Be Loved” is a mostly guitar and vocal affair with an added string section and doo-wop backing vocals by Setzer himself. The aforementioned “Wild Wind” is a sprawling western epic that evokes images of a lonesome cowboy forever on the go, destined to be a “wandering fool”. “St. Jude” is something of a shocker with its highly spiritual message. The song’s plea “St. Jude pray for us, we need some peace and comfort now, St. Jude pray for us” is an idea never expressed by Brian Setzer before and one that is well done without sounding cheap or overly sentimental. Of special note is Brian’s solo on this song; rather than using his jazz inflected rockabilly chops, we hear a sound highly reminiscent of Eric Clapton’s work on George Harrison’s “While Me Guitar Gently Weeps”. Come to think of it, there seems to be an indirect nod to George Harrison in the guitar work on this album, however indirect that may be.
The bonus disc contains one song, an ultra cool cover of “Luck Be A Lady” by The Brian Setzer Orchestra. The band swings mightily here and we here how successful Brian Setzer is at melding a crooner with a rocker.
This album almost feels like the follow up to Brian’s excellent 1988 album “Live Nude Guitars” in terms of feel and content. Lyrically it may not be as strong as that but it is far and above his last original album “Ignition”. And while the album does not totally hold up as a cohesive whole, the band’s spirited performances combined with Setzer’s over the top guitar work go a long way in making up for such minor flaws. Go, Go Daddy-O!
