Sabrina Weeks & Swing Cat Bounce

 

Canadian based Sabrina Weeks & Swing Cat Bounce are blues wannabes that come off more as a good time party-bar band. The very good lead guitar by her husband Mike Hilliard is of the blues-rock variety…lots of note twiddling. Bill White is a very exceptional upfront rhythm guitarist, not low in the mix like many others. They also have a very capable rhythm section. The songs for the most part are delivered with a calculated sense of energy and enthusiasm. Sabrina possesses a listenable voice that is mixed way upfront.

The sound of the recording has a strange separation as if the band and the audience were recorded at different times. The crowd noise drifts in quickly at the end of songs and the music seems a bit too polished for a live recording. You never hear any crowd reaction to a guitar solo or exciting section of music.

Sabrina delivers a combination of corny lyrics and a corny delivery over a loping country rhythm on the opening song “Bad Boys”. Mike Hilliard’s guitar style can go from blues to blues-rock, both containing note bending and twiddling. “Jimmy Dee” features some nice slide guitar on a song about a “ne’re do well”. A touch of Pat Benatar swagger is infused into “Slide Over Here”, a tune that moves along effortlessly. Randy Newman’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On” gets a funky groove hung on it. They also get funky on a jumpy little obscure number from Ike & Tina Turner entitled “Strange”.

“Hound Dog” benefits from some fleet-fingered guitar runs as it gets a revved-up treatment. “Big Boss Man” has the band’s usual blues-rock delivery. The best is saved for last as “I Got My Eye On You” rolls along rather nicely.

The band is fine, but very little blues here. This music is best suited for a night out at the bar with friends. The lead guitar playing is first class blues-rock and Sabrina’s voice gets the job done.

If this music is what YOU call the blues, then have I got a band for you.