They had a minor hit in the ’90s called “Low” and then seemed to vanish.
Luckily they are still around, blending both their country roots and their garage rock/ punk sides on their new double album “Berkeley to Bakersfield.
The Berkeley Side explores their funky rock side with the original line up of David Lowery, bassist Davey Faragher, guitarist Johnny Hickman, drummer Michael Urbano, keyboardist Thayer Sarrano, saxophonist Marc Gilley and additional keyboardist Mark Golde.
They start off slowly with the Shins’ style laid back acoustic groove of “Torches and pitchforks and” quickly pick up to pace with the urgent, scrappy rocker “March of the Billionaires,” which has a Bob Mould feel.
It is the first time, according to the liner notes, that they have recorded together in almost 20 years. And its about bloody time because they are fantastic together blending alternative country/ cow-punk along the lines of St. Louis’ The Bottle Rockets on slower songs like El Comandante and El Cerrito.
They show their more rock and roll side with the outstanding “Beautiful” and the Dandy Warholish “Life in the Big City.”
They have catchy choruses and plenty of addictive harmonies and a crunchy guitar sound you just have to love.
The last song on the first CD “Waited My Whole Life,” provides a great transition to the more pure Bakersfield country of the Bakersfield CD.
It sounds like a completely different band, well it pretty much is, other than the common link of Lowery’s vocals, guitar and banjo playing and guitarist Johnny Hickman though Davey Faragher adds backing vocals and Thayer Sarrano adds more keyboards and vocals. Meanwhile fiddler Luke Moeller and pedal steel player Matt Stoessel add the requisite amount of twang to the music which immediately grabs the ear with the first track “ California CountryBoy.”
Jeremy Wheatley adds drums and Sal Maida is locked in as the band‘s rhythm section on Bakersfield.
In a more just music world, the dark themed second track “Almond Hill” would be a modern country hit single along the lines of something Billy Currington would record. So does the raunchy sounding “King of Bakersfield.” “ Get On Down the Road” is an upbeat, catchy country rocker that sticks with you.
“ I’m Sorry Baby” is already getting played on Sirius XM's Outlaw country station, which is I suppose where Cracker belongs as they decidedly and proudly don’t fit in anywhere on mainstream airwaves.
“Play it like weird, this ain’t Nashville,” advises Lowery to steel guitarist Matt Stoessel on “King of Bakersfield.”
“ Do what you want as long as you ain’t hurtin’ no-one,” from that same song sums up the philosophy of the band and their new double CD.
There is plenty of pretty playing and toe tapping rhythms and I can’t get enough of that sighing steel guitar.
Another upbeat country tune “ The San Bernardino Boy” will keep your toes tapping to the end thanks to Lowrey’s chunking banjo and some bluesy dobro. the CD ends witha pair of laid back country ballads “ When you Come Down” and “ Where have those Days Gone.”
— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
CD: From Berkeley to Bakersfield
Band: Cracker
Genre: Country rock
Record Company: 429 Records