“12 Songs Live”
review

By Jack Bullion
Skiff Staff

“12 Songs Live,” the new album by Dallas/Fort Worth area stalwarts Brad Thompson and his Undulating Band, acts as the perfect remedy for those that might have missed the band’s performance last Friday night at the Caravan of Dreams.

It might also offer up another fix for jam-band fans who like their music poppy and sunny, strummed on acoustic guitars and punctuated by often-lengthy, mostly focused moments of musical noodling. This monster of rock we call the jam band, while undeniably popular (especially on our fair campus), always manages to walk the line between charming and irritating. Slipping an epic quasi-free jazz interlude into a catchy, likable pop song is always an iffy proposition, and even the best jam bands tend to miss more than they hit.

Thompson and his band are no exception to this ironclad rule, but surprisingly (especially for a live performance), they make few missteps on “12 Songs Live.” The band manages to give off a vibe that’s loose and leisurely, belying their evident musical chops.

Thompson is, of course, a big part of this equation, possessing both an ear for the sly hook and an earnest, if limited, vocal range. If it’s difficult to tell most of the time exactly what the singer-guitarist is actually singing about, it’s probably better that way. Thompson’s voice becomes part of the overall framework of the song, and for his part he never tries to show off too much vocally.

Also making a terrific impression on “Live,” despite the fact he’s now been replaced, is bass player Jeff Plant. Not only does he anchor the band’s rhythm section (a critical jam band component), but he lets loose a wah-wah drenched bass solo on “True” that is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The band as a whole takes advantage of the live environment, and the recording they’ve come up with sounds every bit as accomplished as a studio recording might.

“Only That I Want You,” the album’s opener, features a seductively funky lick, courtesy of Thompson before building up to a downright rocking bridge section. “Wild” and “You Bet (The Sitcom Song)” are two fine pop-rock ditties, sounding remarkably like the ingratiatingly peppy background music on so many WB teen dramas.

Other songs, however, just end up sounding like background music. Try as they might, the Undulating Band is only a three-piece band, and many times the musical variation suffers in spite of the Thompson’s ambitions.

And although the recording is pretty sterling, it’s often difficult to tell that it was actually recorded live. The only times the presence of an audience isn’t in doubt is when they cheer loud enough for the mics to pick them up, or when Thompson banters playfully with them. But I’m willing to chalk that up to equipment, not personnel. In any case, “12 Songs Live” provides an innocuous, harmless listening experience, which doubtlessly is enhanced by witnessing one of their performances in person.

Jack Bullion
j.w.bullion@tcu.student.edu