![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ga20_crackdown.jpg\")
The guitar-and-drums duo format is one with a long and rich history in the blues idiom. That stripped-down setup has also found success in rock acts, from Flat Duo Jets to The White Stripes to The Black Keys and beyond. Taking the concept one step forward, Matthew Stubbs and Pat Faherty launched GA-20 in 2018. With drummer Chris Anzelone, GA-20 released its debut album, Lonely Soul<\/i> in 2019. The album featured blues classics alongside original songs in a compatible style.<\/p>\n
For their second long-player, the Chicago blues group paid tribute to a hero with 2021\u2019s Try It…You Might Like It! GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor<\/i>. The album \u2013 made in cooperation with (but not released by) Bruce Iglauer\u2019s Alligator Records \u2013 was well-received. Even without bass guitar, the trio produced a sound honoring Taylor\u2019s memory, with a character reminiscent of Peter Green\u2019s Fleetwood Mac. Released the same year, a live EP (Does Hound Dog Taylor Live!<\/i>) was a bit redundant, but underscored the commitment of GA-20\u2019s instrumental and vocal delivery.<\/p>\n
For Crackdown<\/i>, the group expands its sonic palette while remaining true to its roots. \u201cFairweather Friend\u201d is steeped in the blues, but owes a debt to \u201860s garage rock and the punk aesthetic as well. As before, the group\u2019s guitar work features thunderous overtones that imply the presence of bass guitar, rounding out the sonic frequencies in a pleasing manner. Songs like \u201cFairweather Friend\u201d maintain blues structure, but incorporate a subtly pop-leaning character that should serve to draw a wider audience.<\/p>\n
The loping \u201cDry Run\u201d is informed by country blues, but applies those values to a decidedly electric arrangement, with production values heavy on slap-back echo, giving the song a classic Sun Studio feel. Released as a single ahead of the album, \u201cEasy on the Eyes\u201d draws its melody from well-worn blues phrasing, yet it pulls the melody into the 21st<\/sup> century, creating something equal parts modern and reverent. Anzelone\u2019s splashy, clattering percussion is the perfect foil for the stinging lead and hypnotic ersatz-bass guitar.<\/p>\n With crowd noises in the background, \u201cCrackdown\u201d has the feel of a soulful dance floor raver, with hints of The Meters and Booker T & the MGs added to the mix. The instrumental dialogue between the two guitarists is crackling with excitement. The album\u2019s sole cover is an ace reading of Ben E. King\u2019s \u201cJust Because,\u201d sped up and all but reinvented for current-day listeners.<\/p>\n \u201cBy My Lonesome\u201d rocks hard, conjuring thoughts of early rock\u2019n\u2019roll; it\u2019s a cousin to Nick Curran\u2019s 21st<\/sup> century retro masterpiece, Reform School Girl<\/i>. The blues shouter \u201cI Let Someone In\u201d is cut from similar cloth, but its slower pace only heightens the danger and excitement. \u201cDouble Gettin\u2019\u201d features snaky, sultry percussion that encourages hip shakin\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cGone for Good\u201d applies the GA-20 formula to \u201cRed House\u201d styled bluesology, Hendrix style. A brief reprise, \u201cFairweather Friend (Final Goodbye)\u201d recasts the opening song in a sparer, haunting arrangement that once again reconnects GA-20 with its roots.<\/p>\n The uniformly astounding Crackdown<\/i> blows by in less than 29 minutes, doubling down on the retro character of GA-20\u2019s chosen style. But quality wins out over quantity every time, and the latest from GA-20 is nonstop quality. Carefully yet confidently expanding their musical perspective, the trio has all the elements for breakout mainstream success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The guitar-and-drums duo format is one with a long and rich history in the blues idiom. That stripped-down setup has also found success in rock acts, from Flat Duo Jets […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24484,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,49,62,65],"tags":[4932],"class_list":["post-24483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blues","category-new-release","category-rawk","category-review","tag-ga-20","cat-9-id","cat-49-id","cat-62-id","cat-65-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24483"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24485,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24483\/revisions\/24485"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}