The Crawpuppies are not from some cajun side dish, but a band that hails from Indiana. When the album leads off with a Big Star riff in the title track you know you’re in for some fun. The band lead by Chad Clifford (vocals/guitar) has a fine approach with basic power pop, I am reminded a bit of Del Amitri with it’s bar styled strum and shifting chords on “She Comes Lovely.” The ballad “We” is a wonderful mid tempo song about growing a relationship and the melody with full harmonies on the Squeeze-like “Owe It All To You” and “Mental Demons” are just perfect. The adult folk ballad “My Wife” is an effective and intimate portrait of a marriage that will lift your soul. The tone shifts a bit by mid-album to a more blues based rock sound with “I Wanna Know” and “3 Little Things.” I felt Chad’s vocals strain here, as he sounds more in his element with the soft bossa nova of “Here We Go Again.” The album runs out of creative juice towards the end with the echoey funk of “Masquerade,” but it never gets boring and the best of those melodies are sure to stick in your head.
Great review of a solid disc. Having seen the band live more often than I've heard the disc, I tend to favor the songs where Chad is really belting. Live, the band shines bright on I Wanna Know. It's nice to see some local guys get a positive review like this.