The band that started it all.  In an effort to tell the world about this wonderful band I found and yet avoid building a fansite, BandVox was launched. This review was originally posted January of 2007, but the URL changed when we switched format.  Please adjust your bookmarks.

JD and the Longfellows describe their sound as “renegade folk, drunken country, shit-kickin’ western, psycho-skiffle” and after listening to their CD Confessions, I can’t find anything wrong with that. The first song that I heard (Another Drink, Another Round, Another Bar, Another Town) sent visions through my mind of people swinging, arms entwined, in drunken circles, with beer sloshing from their tankards. I quite liked this image, and so I searched out more.

After listening as much as I could from their MySpace page, and on Shite ‘n’ Onions (at Live365 ), I gave in, spent the $12.97 and bought the CD. I am so happy that I did. I have played this CD nearly every day since I received it from CD Baby and enjoyed every minute of it. There’s no denying that this is drinking music (and who’d want to deny it?), but it’s much richer, with more depth than your usual drinking songs.

The band has a unique and instantly recognizable sound, and yet the variety within that sound is astounding, especially when you consider that this is the band’s first CD.

For instance, the opening song Lenny sounds like country music would, if country music were actually good. And while I can’t explain it, I swear the horns in Another Drink sounds like mariachi. I also detected a hint of the Cure from time to time. Josh Davis’ vocals change from song to song as well. In Jamaican Rum and Why his smooth tone flows well with Clare Portman and Gemma Cumming’s back up vocals. In Another Drink and Wedding of the Year his voice switches to deep and growling, which contrasts nicely with the girls’ sweeter, higher vocals.

One of the many great things about this album is the humor woven throughout. Such as it can be difficult to tell if they really like tropical islands, or just the unscheduled in-flight entertainment (Jamaican Rum). It’s not so much what is said, as how it’s said. Listening very carefully is an absolute must, and the opening and closing lines of Holiday to the Sun are well worth the effort.

The subject matter runs the gamut between getting scammed out of your plane tickets, wedding nightmares or nightmarish weddings, and joining the mile high club. My personal current favorite Another Glass of Whiskey makes some very good points about the merits of whiskey over those of a whining girlfriend. Thunderstorm is also quite an entertaining song, involving an angry husband, a shotgun, and a pair of socks.

Confessions has it all! Humor: “Now this is an old, old basic drinking song that I’ve only just written” Pick-up Lines: “I’ll show you that my pencil’s full of lead” even Helpful Household Hints: “If you mix your women like you mix your drink, well the end is just the same”.

Final Verdict: A fun CD, great without paying attention to the words- unbelievably excellent if you do. Buy the CD, you’ll be glad that you did.

You can find JD and the Longfellows at CD Baby or their website, JDandtheLongfellows.com